Hanyou no Kon
by Kaminari2
Summary: In the depths of 500 years long past, love blooms between Kagome and Inuyasha, but with it must come challenges...updated everyday! Please R&R!
1. Nanimo hajimatte iru

NOTE: Inuyasha is not mine. There, happy? ^_^

Prologue

            _Where am I?_ Kagome wondered as she looked around the beautiful, strange, and disconcerting world she had suddenly (inexplicably) found herself trapped in.

            "Hello?" She asked tentatively, her voice echoing in the swirling mists, then fading in the light that was coming from everywhere and yet from nowhere. When no one answered, she tried again, bolder: "Hello!? Is anybody here!?"

            There was no answer, no sound. All the same, however, Kagome became aware that someone was indeed behind her; her heart leapt into her throat (spending most of your time in an era where 90 percent of the beings want to kill you will do that to you), and she wheeled around to face what she thought was a foe. Instead, she saw…

            "Inuyasha…," she whispered. "Wh…what are you…"

            "Doing here? Feh, can't I be where I want to be?" He said, crossing his arms and smirking. Yet despite his words—and the ever-present arrogant smirk—the normal impatience, anger, and annoyance were absent from his words.  

"What do you mean 'Where you want to be'?" 

            Inuyasha smiled as he began walking towards Kagome, the eerie light playing about his features and making everything around him dark as he grew brighter all the time; the winds swirled faster and faster around the two as Inuyasha drew closer. Kagome held her breath as he got closer…he was only five feet away…now three feet…now none. 

            He leaned close as he whispered, "I can't just be here with you?"

            Kagome flushed bright red at his answer, and then hastily averted her eyes to the ground and stolidly resolved to keep them there.

            "Inuyasha, I…I can't…" She stuttered, but Inuyasha put one clawed fingertip under her chin and lifted her head up to where she was looking straight into his golden eyes.

            "Can't what?" He laughed softly as he leaned close and kissed her deeply. Their lips were locked, each feeding the fire inside the other's soul, for what felt like an eternity, but to them was as brief as a second.

It was Inuyasha that finally broke the eternal kiss, and Kagome just stood staring into his eyes.

"Kagome, I…" He started, then faltered.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" She asked, her breathing and her heart stopping simultaneously.

Inuyasha composed himself, then drew himself so close that Kagome's nose was less than an inch from his own.

            "Kagome, I…I…" Inuyasha began, and then…

            Kagome opened her eyes to the vast expanse of starry heavens above her and sighed as she thought, '_Just perfect…another dream. Why do I always have these dreams _after_ we fight?_' She groaned inside her own head. '_Stupid Shoujo manga…my mom was right, that stuff _does _poison your mind._'

            She rolled over, intent on going back to sleep, but was thwarted in that attempt when she saw Inuyasha sitting erect and awake in a nearby tree, and—although it was too dark and too far to tell—she felt certain he was watching her now.

            She "Hmph!"d as she spun around, her back now to the cranky hanyou who was more than likely to be even crankier tomorrow since he had not gotten any sleep tonight, and thought one final thought before sleep took hold of her once more. 

            '_Still…and it's not like I _WANT _him to kiss me of anything,_' she added hastily to herself, '_it wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to me…_'

            About that same moment, said cranky hanyou was sitting in said nearby tree. Although his outside appearance portrayed unbreakable calm, his insides were eating each other alive warring with each other.

            Two forces in particular, Inuyasha's head and Inuyasha's heart, were both fighting tooth and nail for control of poor Inuyasha, and neither seemed ready in the least to back down. 

            "You know, you really should apologize," Heart-Inuyasha nagged.

            "Why should I? It was her fault in the first place!" Head-Inuyasha snapped back.             "Hontou? I don't recall Kagome as being the one that bashed Kouga over the head with the Tetsuaiga!" Heart-Inuyasha retorted. 

            "Well what was I supposed to do, _let_ Kouga have his way with her?"

            "_BAKA_! You _know_ Kagome isn't in love with Kouga, he's just too blind to see she doesn't like him! She's his friend, nothing more, just the same as Sango; and if you keep this up that's all you'll ever be with her!"

            Inuyasha was silent (well, silent inside; he'd been silent for a while on the outside) for a moment before he responded.__

            "Keh, he deserved it…"

            Heart-Inuyasha snorted.

            "Well did Kagome think he deserved it? Apparently not by the way you two started fighting after she 'Osuwari!'d you about ten times so Kouga's friends could drag him away."

            "Feh! After she did THAT you _still_ think I should apologize?" 

            "Of course you should, whether you want to admit it or not!" Heart-Inuyasha replied forcefully. "You're not always right, no matter how much you think you are! It's high time that changed!" 

            "Keh. You're starting to sound like the wench, you know that?" Head-Inuyasha grumbled back. 

            "Well, at least you'll have _something_ to remember her by if you keep pushing her away like this…," Heart laughed darkly, and Inuyasha felt a little twinge of guilt as he felt both voices 'leave' and silence fell within the battlefield of his soul. This twinge of guilt, however, quickly subsided and he began thinking to himself once more as he shifted his gaze down to Kagome.

            _'I'm not going to apologize. I'm not. I don't care if Kagome _is _mad, that wimpy wolf had it coming to him. Even if I _was_ wrong, which I'm not, I wouldn't apologize. I will not apologize, I will not apologize, I will not apologize, I will not apolo...'_

Inuyasha heard a faint, "Hmph!" from Kagome's direction and saw her roll over to turn her back to him.

            _'…gize.'_ "Sigh." _'Crap, now how the hell am I going to do this?_' Inuyasha groaned as he began sulking in his tree. He turned his head skyward as he lapsed once more into deep thought.            

Chapter One

Golden sunlight cascaded down through the green tapestry of the forest as a beautiful morning sun arose in a clear blue sky, driving the night away. The sunlight seemed to creep stealthily along the ground until it reached the village where Inuyasha, Kagome and the rest of the gang were staying. It seemed to hesitate for a moment before reaching Kagome's sleeping form, then, in a burst of decisiveness, it leapt forward into her eyes.

            "Hm?" She groaned sleepily as the bright light blazed into her dreams and forced them away, trying to nudge her back into reality. She rolled over in her sleeping bag in an attempt to escape the offending light but it would not let her go that easily: sunshine leapt across the entire landscape. With no escape, she hovered on the edge of a dream, debating whether or not to cast herself over the edge into reality.

            Kagome teetered for just a moment more—then opened her eyes to the sun-soaked mass of green life around her; flowers were in bloom every direction she looked, the grass rose up around her, and a doe with her fawn could be seen foraging off in the distance.

            Kagome blinked sleepily, then smiled and thought to herself, _'How did I ever live in modern Japan full-time? This place is so much more peaceful…more dangerous, perhaps, but far more peaceful and beautiful than all those noisy machines…'_

            She rose from her sleeping bag and yawned mightily, then looked around the small camp that she and her comrades had called home for the night. She kept looking until something occurred to her.

            Miroku and Sango normally awoke earlier than she did, and were hard at work making breakfast by now (well, Sango was normally hard at work making breakfast: Miroku was usually too busy nursing the injuries he had sustained from groping Sango to help with breakfast), yet there was no smell of burning wood or any breakfast being cooked.

            "Keh. About time you woke up, girl." Our favorite silver-haired hanyou (cranky as predicted, despite all efforts) grumbled from in his perch at the top of a tree. Kagome turned around, and craned her neck up to get a good look at him.

            Instead of her normal response (which would involve an 'Osuwari!' and a hanyou cursing fit to make a sailor blush), Kagome just glared at him sleepily; yawned; tried to blink out what sleep remained in her eyes, and finally just wheeled around on one foot and began rolling up her sleeping bag.

            _'Great. So much for trying not to piss her off today…'_ Inuyasha growled to himself. _'Keh. May as well try…'_

            "Oi, Kagome!" Inuyasha called down.

            Kagome continued rolling up her sleeping bag, apparently ignoring the sulking hanyou. 

            "Kagome!" He yelled in a harsher tone.

            She growled and shot a glare up at Inuyasha, suppressed her desire to sit him to kingdom come, then finished with her sleeping bag and began building the base of a fire to cook their breakfast.

            _'Crap, I'm trying to apologize her and _this_ is how she treats me!?'_ Inuyasha growled in his mind, typical anime-style vein popping in his forehead and his eyebrow twitching as he glared down at the young miko. 

            "Oi, _Kagome_!" Pause. "Well, wench, at least you're still making breakfast, even if you are ignoring me…"

            That did it. 

            "INUYASHA! OSUWARI!"

            _BAM!_

            The spell itself was powerful enough already, so it didn't help matters much for Inuyasha that he was approximately twenty feet up in the tree. Instead of the normal vaguely body-shaped imprint, there was now an Inuyasha-sized hole extending down about three feet. 

            "BCH WHT THE HLL DD YOU DO THT FR!?" he roared, muffled by the heavy dirt three feet underground.

            "Excuse me? I'm sorry, I didn't hear that properly." Kagome smiled, a fell light glittering in her eyes as he climbed out of the hole into a face that had about twenty "Osuwari!"s written all over it.

            Needless to say he was quite taken aback.

            Rather than be sat, he instead turned his head and said, "Keh. What the hell did you say 'Osuwari!' for!?"  
            "Because sunup is _far_ too early for you to get on my nerves, baka!"

            "Trying to give you _these_ is me getting on your nerves?" He growled, reaching into his bright red kimono and producing a collection of beautiful, flattened roses.

            _'Hope that damn monk was right about women liking flowers; I'm not even sure if that's what he said that night, anyways…'_

            Kagome paused, blinking stupidly for a second, before squealing, "Oh, they're beautiful! And you already pressed them so they'd last longer!"  
            "THAT WAS FROM THE TWENTY-FOOT FALL!"

            She looked quite sheepish for a moment, then looked up at Inuyasha, hugged the flowers close, and said, "Thank you, Inuyasha." 

            "Keh. Now hopefully you won't get mad at me and we can get back to shard hunting."

            Both he and Kagome stayed silent for a moment; both were looking straight into each other's eyes; and both were trying to figure out how to apologize to the other without making it look like they were wrong and wondering what the hell they were going to do. Or at least they were, until Kirara decided to make an appearance with a sudden, "Mew!". 

            Both she and Inuyasha jumped about a foot in the air, blushing furiously, at this intrusion from Kirara. Kagome was satisfied with merely holding her head down and hiding her embarrassed face; Inuyasha, however, was not content until he had picked the firecat up by the scruff of her neck and roared, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT!?" 

            Kirara growled at his display of anger, then bit his hand, causing him to release her, and bounded over to Kagome. Kirara then began tugging on her sock insistently, mewling the whole time.

            "She wants us to follow her, in case you couldn't guess," Inuyasha grumbled, stalking in the direction the little cat was trying to pull Kagome. "Let's go."

            Inuyasha and Kagome began running after the incredibly-fast-for-her-size Kirara, and realized that they were headed towards the same spot where Miroku and Sango had gone last night but had not returned from.

            When they reached the monk and the exterminator, Kagome gasped and Inuyasha could only gape at their present condition. Both Sango and Miroku's faces were pale and sallow, the skin seemingly belonging to a corpse rather than a living human; puddles of vomit lay both on their clothes next to both of them, dripping down and running down the hillside; finally, both he and Sango were shaking so badly that all grass within a foot was vibrating madly.

            "Unhhhhh…," Sango groaned as she rolled over and opened her hollow eyes to Kagome and Inuyasha.

            Not much of a cliffhanger, but I'm sleepy, I need to get my homework done, and I finally finished my accursed precalculus homework! (HAH! KUTABARE SUUGAKU NO SENSEI!!!!!!!!!!!) I've already got the next chapter planned out; however, it may take me a while to write it up, so hopefully these will tide you over and entice you enough to keep reading ^_^. This is my first published fanfic; I have others stored on my computer, but they're just bits and pieces of other things…above all else, please R&R this story! Thanks!


	2. Sickness of the Sengoku Jidai

Chapter Two

            Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha. Unfortunately, I do not own Ms. Takahashi or Inuyasha, so I'm praying they won't read this and sue me…::glances around::. So far, so good!

            "Sango-chan! Miroku-sama!" Kagome gasped as she dropped to her knees next to Sango. Inuyasha stared disdainfully at them and snorted at Kagome's blatant display of emotion; he did his best to appear disinterested and annoyed, because hey: he didn't care what happened to Miroku and Sango, even if they _were_ so sick they might die at any moment, right?

            Too bad for Head-Inuyasha these were his friends, and as much as he'd like to deny it, he liked and cared for them and felt obliged to help them (even though the odds of him telling anybody else this were about as good as Jaken telling Sesshoumaru to go screw himself).

            "Oi, Kagome," Inuyasha said softly as he kneeled down next to Miroku's unconscious form and looked into Kagome's eyes. "What's wrong with them? They were fine last night, and now…_this_?"

            "I don't know: obviously it's some kind of illness; it could be a type of venom, but I doubt it…"

            "Well, where's your medical book?"

            Kagome gave Inuyasha a sidelong glance and said in a casual, almost bored, tone, "I'd still have it if _SOMEONE_ didn't slash it to bits trying to kill Shippou."

            Inuyasha uttered a soft, "Keh", at Kagome's remark, turned his head, and reflexively lapsed into his trademark pouting/sulking mode, closing his eyes and turning away from Kagome.

            Kagome ignored the immature hanyou as she began surveying Miroku and Sango's current conditions, both being worse than she had initially expected. She had read in her history class that an epidemic of a virulent strain of the flu had erupted in several places around Japan sometime around this period, and although she hoped fervently that this was not the case (they don't have vaccinations, remember?), with each second she became more and more sure that this is what she and Inuyasha were dealing with.

            With one last check of their foreheads, Kagome sighed and slumped back as she realized the full extent of their plight. She had some cold medicine in her gigantic yellow bag (that was now just barely able to squeeze through the well), but there was nothing she had or knew how to do that could alleviate her friend's illnesses. Which left one option: Kaede-baasan. And that meant asking Inuyasha to carry Miroku and Sango all the way back to Kaede's village, which, although he had the strength of a hanyou, Inuyasha was sure to complain about. 

            Said hanyou decided that he'd been ignored long enough and spat, "Well? What the hell's the matter with them?"

            For once, Kagome ignored the scathing tone in his voice and replied placidly, "They're sick; sick as in they can't walk, they can barely move, and they'll be out of action for at _least_ a month and a half if it's the illness I'm thinking of."

            "WHAT!?" Inuyasha roared, bolting upright. "At _LEAST_!? We can't stay away from shard-hunting that long: Naraku's almost got the whole damn thing already, if we wait that long we practically _GIVE_ him the rest of the jewel!"

            "So you're proposing we leave them by themselves?" Kagome asked calmly, although there was a dangerous flash of light in her eyes.

            Inuyasha's angry countenance suddenly took on a confused one as he realized what Kagome said was right. Miroku and Sango can't defend themselves if they're so sick they can't stand, right?

            "We need to get them to Kaede-baasan's village; if we get them back there, Kaede can take care of them and help them recuperate."

            "You mean I've gotta carry the bouzo and the taijiya all the way back to the village?" Inuyasha grumbled. 

            Kagome just laughed and said, "What, is the mighty Inuyasha too weak to carry two pitiful humans back?"

            Inuyasha growled as Kagome burst into laughter, then, "Keh'd" and picked up the unconscious forms of Miroku and Sango and slung them over his shoulder.

            He smirked as he said, "Get on your bike; the mighty Inuyasha doesn't want to be slowed down by a pitiful human."

            Kagome smiled, and merely replied, "Arigatou, Inuyasha."

            He turned his head, closed his eyes, and said, "Just get the runt, we can't leave without him.

            Well, after several grudge matches with writer's block, I've finally managed to get the second part of my story done. Yay for me! Please R this is the first fanfiction I've ever written, and I'd really like a review ^_^. PS: If you feel like it, offer suggestions: they are invaluable in times of mental constipation.


	3. Inuyasha no ii kangae

Chapter Three

            Encouraged by my reviews (thanks! ^_^) I've tried to get this story out faster than I did the last one; and, considering it was a two-week lapse between chapters before I updated, it was actually quite easy…hahaha.

            You've read it in pretty much every fan-fiction in this section, so read it here: I don't own Inuyasha; I used to own forty thousand shares of Inuyasha stock, but I traded it for a sandwich (diligent watchers of Futurama will understand this…lol). I also don't own the chant, as I forget what video game I got it from but it sounded fitting for this Kaede's ritual ^_^.

            Inside of Kaede-baasan's hut, amid strange chanting and swirling mists of choking incense, both Kagome and Inuyasha sat, Shippou in Kagome's lap, watching Kaede's strange ritual with a mixture of fascination and, "What the hell is this old hag doing?"

            "_Umobwebwe ai bi dao…umobwebwe ai bi dao…_," Kaede chanted softly as she delicately drew lines down their face with the _kamimizu_, the water serving as both a test and to help cool off the fevered skin of the two warriors. "_Umobwebwe ai bi dao…umobwebwe ai bi dao…_"

            Kagome clasped her hands worriedly in front of her as Kaede's chanting ceased suddenly and she turned around with a grave, sad look on her face.

            "Lady Kagome…," she started. "I'm afraid it is as thee hath suspected: Miroku-sama and Lady Sango have both fallen badly ill with the Sengoku Jidai no Byouki. It shall be some time before they shalt be on their feet again…"

            "That long!?" Shippou cried, looking over at the unconscious warriors. "But we need them!"

            Inuyasha, never managing (or so it seemed) to be ignored in any conversation, stared at Kaede-baasan with an acidic glare and demanded, "Just _how _long will it be before they're on their feet?"

            Kaede sighed, averted her eyes to the two stricken warriors, and then spoke.

            "It shall be two months, at the very least. Their fevers are extremely high; had Lady Kagome not thought to use ice from her magic 'kuura pakku' (cooler pack; they speak Japanese, so they can't pronounce some words correctly), thy friends would most likely have perished before thine arrival." 

            Inuyasha's ears twitched, and he was on his feet faster than any would have thought possible.

            "What do you mean 'two months'!?" Inuyasha roared, snatching Kaede-baasan up by the front of her kimono and pushing her against the wall. "Kagome said a month and a half!!!"

            "Thy friends have fallen badly ill, Lord Inuyasha," she choked out. "Wouldst thou risk their well-being for the hunting of the Shikon no Tama?"

            A deep, throaty growl rose from Inuyasha's throat, and Shippou wisely hid behind Kagome as Inuyasha stalked past Miroku and Sango and plopped himself down against the far wall, muttering, "Stupid weak humans…" (among other, less tasteful things).

            Kaede-baasan cleared her throat and spoke.

            "Lady Kagome, I have herbs and medicines that shall speed the healing along: without them, it would be a matter of several more weeks before thy friends would be able to completely recover. Thee must administer these to them, and if by some miracle of Buddha thee is able to get Inuyasha to help thee…"

            Inuyasha broke into the conversation, and much to everyone's surprise, the anger and rage that had been written all over his face had vanished; it was instead replaced by his immortal, arrogant smirk.

            "Keh, I'm not going to be helping the bouzou and the taijiya. Neither are you Kagome," Inuyasha said, still smirking.

            "Oh, and _why_ is that!?" Kagome spat back acidly at him.

            "Because Kaede's going to take care of _them _while _we _go shard hunting."

            Woohoo, another chapter done at an amazing (for me!) pace; and don't worry, I'll have another chapter out fairly soon. My writer's block is officially gone (for now…), so I'll be able to update far more frequently. Jaa!  
            PS: If you need any translation of the stuff I put into Japanese/want anything translated into Japanese (I'll do my best; this is my fourth year of taking it at my high school) post it in your reviews ::hint hint::. Thanks!


	4. Kagomesama no hyoketsu

Well, another installment in my series…I honestly have no idea how long I'm going to make this; I'd like to make it as long as possible, because I have several good ideas, but they'd have to be spread kind of far apart…oh well.

            I don't own Inuyasha. Damn.

Chapter Four

            "What do you mean, 'While _we_ go shard hunting'!?" Kagome demanded, covering the distance between her and Inuyasha at blinding speed as she shoved her face into his. "I'm not going anywhere while Miroku and Sango are like this!"

            "Keh! What good is you and I staying here: the hag can take care of them, like I said; hell, she'll probably do better than if you and I were here because we'll be out of her way!"

            "Well I don't want to leave Miroku-sama and Sango-chan almost defenseless in this village while we're tens of miles away!" Kagome shouted back, red anger seeping into her face. "Besides, I doubt Kaede would even do it!"

            "Lady Kagome, I would be more than happy to assist you in…"

            "Well how do you know!? You didn't even ask the hag!" Inuyasha cut off.

            "NEITHER DID YOU!" Kagome shouted back, then blushed, bowed in apology to Kaede-baasan, and shot a furious glare at Inuyasha before stalking over to her friends and kneeling between them.

            Inuyasha glared right back at Kagome, ears and vein twitching in synchrony as he growled, "_Teme…_" just loud enough to be audible to human ears, reflexively cracking his knuckles as he continued to glare (a/n: I can crack my knuckles like that too…I know why he does it, it feels EXTREMELY good).

            He was just about to go over to Kagome and give her a piece of his mind when he felt a hand press gently down onto his shoulder. He whipped around to stare into the eyes (okay, _eye_) of Kaede.

            "What do you want?" He snarled, still cracking his knuckles loudly as he turned back to glare at Kagome.

            "Leave Lady Kagome to me, Lord Inuyasha. She no doubt hast her mind set on staying here, and no man can move one such as her—especially one such as you." 

            Inuyasha snapped his eyes back to Kaede and growled at her for her insult and clearly intended to follow through with his original plan of yelling at Kagome, but Kaede gripped his shoulder in a firm grasp, paid no heed, and continued on.

            "I wouldst suggest that thee depart for a short time; Lady Kagome shall not open up unless thou is gone. She is much like thee, Lord Inuyasha: she dost not speak her mind whenever others are around, and she leaves only vague clues as to her true intentions. That is why I ask that thou leaves her to me."

            Inuyasha glared back at Kagome, glanced at Kaede, and realized that, no matter how stubborn he may be, he couldn't win this time: besides, he reasoned, if he hung around too long and annoyed Kagome anymore, she might sit him to kingdom come in her present emotional state.

            With a final, "Keh!" and a toss of his head, Inuyasha left the hut and immediately bounded off into the forest, seeking a tree that he could pout, sulk, and do some more thinking in.

            Back in the hut, Kagome sat with Sango's head in her lap; Kagome rocked her gently back and forth, stroking her hair as she muttered, "Poor Sango-chan…". She looked over at Miroku, and managed to cheer up slightly at the sight of the enormous bump on his head.

            _'However bad this disease may be, I doubt that _it_ put Miroku-sama to sleep…'_ She laughed as she imagined a feverish Sango walloping Miroku with her Hiraikotsu.

            "I can see why thou cares for him, Lady Kagome," Kaede-baasan spoke softly as she presented Kagome with a small bowl of tea. "And I can see that he cares for thou as well."

            Kagome blushed, her face glowing red, at Kaede-baasan's frankness, as she whispered, "Am I really that obvious, Kaede-baasan?"

            Kaede smiled, and placed her hand on Kagome's shoulder.

            "Child, it is apparent to all but yourself and he; such is the way things of this manner are. Thou shouldst go with Lord Inuyasha; he shalt not be content to remain here for two months, and thee hast a mission that should be completed quickly. Should Naraku gain control of the Shikon no Tama, this entire land shall be plagued, even as your friends are now."

            "But I wouldn't feel right, Kaede-baasan…I'd be leaving my friends here, sick and alone…"

            Suddenly, Kagome felt a stirring in her lap and looked down to see Sango's hollow eyes focusing to struggle on Kagome's face.

            "Ka…kagome-chan…go…," she gasped, her eyes sliding into focus as she fought to stay conscious. "Go with Inuyasha…we'll be…fine…with Kaede-sama…d-don't worry…"

            "N," Kagome nodded, her eyes beginning to fill with tears as she saw her friend fighting so hard to stay conscious.

            "Kagome-chan…go…gomen ne…," Sango whispered; her eyes glassing over as she returned once more to the feverish dreams of the deathly ill. Kagome felt Kaede squeeze her shoulder reassuringly, and she heard Kaede-baasan's old voice once more.

            "Itte, Lady Kagome…itte."

            Two chapters in one day, and one almost a thousand words long…well, what can I say, but I have no life? Lol. Just so you all know, I'm a diligent watcher of Inuyasha (I'm only on episode 90 of the Japanese version, however), so if anything's wrong with my storyline, just assume that I've decided I didn't like that part of the anime…yeah, that's it…

            Just so you know, "Itte" is a polite command, literally translated as, "Go", just not that harsh; and, as always, please Read and Review! 


	5. Munashiku no ai?

Chapter Five

            Well, yet another chapter in my story…and thanks a lot to everybody who reviewed; for my first reviews, they were pretty dang sweet ^_^. Well, writer's block is starting to rear it's ugly head again; hopefully I'll be able to get past it. Oh well, enjoy!

            I don't own Inuyasha, but I bet _you_ do. Gimme!

            The land around the village had sparkled for miles; checker-boarded with equal patches rice paddies and forest as the sun blazed down from overhead, igniting the whole area with an ethereal sense of calm and peace; solitude and thought; quiet and peaceful…

            …or at least it did until and earth-shattering scream from a not-so-calm-and-peaceful hanyou shattered the false façade of peace and tranquility as he attempted to pry Shippou away from Kagome.

            "NO! I'M NOT GONNA LET KAGOME GO WITHOUT ME, AND THAT'S FINAL, BAKA!" Shippou had screeched as he clung to Kagome's backpack with a death grip even Inuyasha was finding hard to pry loose.

            "Shipp…ou…," Inuyasha grunted through clenched teeth. "The hag said that you were going…to stay…with…HER!" He roared, finally deciding to just bash the young cub over the head.

            That worked, except that Shippou had decided he wasn't going to back down this time…

            Inuyasha rubbed the bruise on his chin, amazed that the kit had been able to hit that hard…_'Why in the seven hells doesn't he fight like that when he's in danger? I've had to save his sorry ass so many times…'       _

            Inuyasha "Keh"'d mentally, then turned his attention back to the vast expanse of flat meadow that he and Kagome had reached after half a day of traveling from the village; no homes, let alone villages, could be seen for miles around.

            It was still a new sensation; traveling alone with Kagome again: he hadn't done this since she had first unsealed him from the tree, since he had saved her life so many times, since he had began to…

            _'No.'_ He told himself. _'Focus on other things. They're more important right now.'_

            He turned his eyes to the lands around him, and was greeted with a beautiful sight: bright moonlight streamed down from the heavens above, bathing the green fields around them in cold, bright life; the tall grass drank deeply of the rare treat as it swayed gratefully in the low night breeze that danced through the meadow; skipped from blade to blade as fast as lightning, then, just as quickly, lifted up and blew away: forever out of sight, yet forever a part of the world.

            He smiled inside as he turned his eyes skyward and was met with a scene that would be forever painted upon his memories: the moon; a beautiful, glowing orb riding high in the sky; the horizon, omnipresent, yet so vague in the moonlight and so unattainable that even one as he would forever fail to reach it; and finally, the midnight blue of the sky: stormy blue, yet so clear one could almost reach through it and touch the heavens…_'Just like Kagome's eyes…'_ Inuyasha thought to himself, briefly allowing his mind and eyes to wander over to Kagome.

            He drank in her form, painted by the firelight, with his eyes, allowing himself to marvel at how much she had changed since she'd came here…where once a girl, far younger than the years that had carried her, stood, a competent, capable, strong woman had replaced her; but even with the quick growing up, all the life-or-death decisions she had to make, she had still kept her innocence and compassion. 

            Inuyasha merely wished he could say the same as he felt his heart melting at the sight of her staring at the dying embers of the fire, pain written all over his face; he wished he could comfort her…reassure her…preserve her innocence that she may never lose it.

            _'How…'_ He asked himself. _'How does she stay so innocent when she's been through so much? How can she hide the pain; or better yet, how can she keep it from eating away at her soul?'_

            "Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned softly as she noticed the object of her inquiry had not lifted his gaze from her for several moments. 

            Caught off his guard, Inuyasha nearly fell forward from Kagome's simple question as his face began to blaze bright red.

            And, of course, we all know what Inuyasha does in these situations…

            "What is it!?" He roared, trying to force the angry heat in his face to go away before Kagome saw it and began asking him questions about what he was doing staring at her…but yet he couldn't look away; despite his feigned attempt at anger and violence, he found himself at a loss for words at her sudden inquiry.

            "Inuyasha!" She said, more harshly but still puzzled. "Why have you been staring at me for the past three minutes?" 

            He faltered, blushed brighter, and barely managed to spit out, "What, wench, can't I even look where I want to now!?"

            "Well, yeah…," she said, looking more and more disheartened as the seconds went on and Inuyasha didn't offer another response to the question that still hung, almost palpably, in the air.

            The fire began to die down; the red-hot coals glowing their last as the chill of the night air began to destroy their impassioned red glow, much like Inuyasha felt like his head was doing to his heart as he stared into the most beautiful eyes in the world…

            _'Tell her…Tell Her…TELL HER!'_ His heart chanted, trying to force him to speak.

            _'And then what?'_ A nasty little voice spoke up in his head as he struggled to say something…anything!_ 'You're a hanyou, remember? How could she ever love someone like you; you've been ridiculed for being half demon your whole life, how is _she_ even different?'_

_            'She actually cares for me!'_ Inuyasha's heart growled back.

            _'So did Kikyo, did she not? Yet you were pinned to a tree for fifty years the last time you were like this…even Kikyo wanted to change you into a human, in what other way could you be good to anybody? You'd live on, breeding more and more half-breeds, only to have them cast out on their faces upon the cold stone floor of the world, never knowing happiness; just like you. Never knowing compassion or kindness, just as you have. They'll never know love; and nobody will love you: you don't belong to either world, you're trapped in between, haven't you realized that by now!?'_

Inuyasha sighed, and just as Kagome was getting ready to go over and smack the hanyou to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep (or died or something), he stood and turned towards the forest.

            On any other night, Inuyasha would have taken this in stride. His hard heart would have cancelled out his cold mind, and he would remain in balance as he had always been since Kikyo had left. But tonight was different: he was by himself, his only company being the girl—no, woman—he cared for so deeply, and the realization that he could never have her was like a knife to his heart. This is why he turned to the forest.

            Inside there was safety; there was darkness; in there was a place where his heart could battle with his head all it desired; a place where there was no love, only blissful impassiveness and the festering emotions of his heart. Still, as he turned to bound towards the forest, he spoke out against all the emotion attempting to clog his voice. 

            "I'm going to bed," he said in a low, defeated voice; little more than a whisper. "Good night."

            He leapt off towards the forest, trying to escape from his tortured soul as he ran faster and faster into the sanctity of the dark forest.

            "Inuyasha, wait!!! What's wrong!?" She shouted, scrambling to get up as she attempted to catch up to him before he left her sight. 

            Failing at this, Kagome merely fell to her knees as she stared into the unforgiving depths of the dark forest that Inuyasha had fled to.

            _'What…what did I do?' _She asked herself. _'He stared at me, then just…left in a flash…his voice was so sad, so defeated; I've _never_ heard Inuyasha like that before, even when he talks in his sleep…'_

She knelt, tears beginning to fall from her eyes as this new burden was placed upon her weary shoulders. 

            _'What did I do to him???'_ She asked herself as a glistening teardrop fell from her cheek, only to shatter upon the cold floor of the world.

            Well, here it is, and I'm on a streak of updating at least once-per-day: I would have updated twice today, but the only problem is I had to go to some awards ceremony thing. And I still have to do my math homework. T_T. I wasn't going to finish this today, and I even thought that I'd have to work on it for a few days, but inspiration hit somehow so I finished it…

            Oh well, you don't want to hear about my life; you want to hear about _Inuyasha's_! ^_^ I'm really happy with the feedback I've gotten, and this has contributed greatly to me continuing this story (when nobody responded within the two weeks after my first chapter was posted, I was almost ready to give up…heh). Oh well, as always please Read and Review, and if you have anything—constructive criticism, story ideas, hell even a good idea for a fight scene (wait till I figger out how to work a fight scene into this, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised)—just post it into your review! Thanks!


	6. Kagome no koimizu

            To borrow a quote from my friend: w00t! Writer's block seems to have gone dead for a while, and I'm just so happy about that…all who reviewed (thanks ^_^) are happy, too, which means I'll be updating at least once a day!

            I don't own Inuyasha, but then again you probably don't own Inuyasha either.

Chapter 6

            The forest was a black monstrosity reaching out to snatch Kagome and bury her into her shadows as she hurried through the forest; silver light painted each gnarled tree trunk black as she began following her gut instinct (helped along a little bit by the rosary/necklace that tied he and her together) and picked a careful path through the dense forest.

            _'What happened to Inuyasha? He stared at me, yelled…well, that's normal for him…then just said _"I'm leaving"_ in such a sad voice…what'd I do? He's never been like this before; heck, he's never even shown any emotion at all—well, aside from anger, of course…and compassion when we're together…and that time he held me before he tried to keep me safe by trapping me in my own time…and whenever he protects me…gods, what happened to him?'_ She demanded in her own head, knowing full well that no answer could possibly come.

            Dried eyes welled up as fresh tears were born from the old, and she began to push deeper and deeper into the forest, cold moonlight blazing overhead.

--Inuyasha's POV—

            The forest was unusually quiet tonight, even to hanyou ears; the habitual denizens of the night seeming to have vanished from their usual haunts: the flap of owl's wings, the chatter of squirrels, and even the gentle rustling of snakes winding their way through the dark underbrush, all of them were silent tonight.

            All the better for Inuyasha to think his morose thoughts; brood upon past and present faults; his experiences with the world; dwell upon his first love; and last, but not least, think about…

            "Kagome…," Inuyasha whispered as he turned his eyes skyward; all thoughts turned towards the same girl that haunted his dreams with her scent, her touch, her love…_'All things that you'll _never_ have!'_ the nasty voice in his head spoke, drowning out the muffled arguments from his heart until all was dark in his heart, and despair began to reign once more: until a light began to shine out, holding his inner demons at bay, as his heart made itself known once more to him.

            He remembered Kagome throwing herself out of the well, throwing herself into him as she cried, worried that he had died because he hadn't come back for her…he remembered her caring for him when he was poisoned by the spider-demon, on the night of the new moon…and even further back, when she had saved him from that same demon, refusing to save herself as she risked her life to save him, he who had always spurned her; called her wench and bitch; argued with her…yet she still saved him.

            _'All is not as bad as we make it…'_ his heart spoke to him. _'There is plenty of good in the world, if we are not blind to it; there may yet be acceptance, if we are not foolish enough to turn it away when it so blatantly presents it to us.'_

            Inuyasha leaned down, chin against chest as silver locks hid his amber eyes, and smiled as he let the warm memories play over and over again in his memory, keeping himself in the temporary bliss that he had found, and allowing them to soothe his aching heart.

            He didn't know how long he stayed like this, bathed in a warm glow, until his submerged mind caught the scent of Kagome coming nearer to his tree. Reluctantly taking himself out of his warm dreams, he leapt from the tree, red robe billowing around him as he soared above the treetops, only to be brought back to earth by the call of gravity as he landed in a moonlit clearing, landing mere feet from Kagome.

            Kagome gasped, almost screamed, at the hanyou's sudden arrival (once more, the effect living in an era where almost all non-human entities want to kill you), but choked her scream and settled for heartache as he landed gently in front of her.

            "Kagome, what are you doing so far away from…," he started, but he never finished: as he spoke, he suddenly found Kagome in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably, while she tried to choke out something that Inuyasha couldn't make out through her tears.

            _'Great, just great; what the hell did I do to make her cry!?' _He cried to herself, reflexively wrapping his arms around her as he attempted to overcome his shock so that he could comfort her and find out what he did so he could mentally beat himself for doing it later.

            "Kagome, calm down…whatever I did, I'm sorry! You don't have to cry!" He cried, trying to calm the girl he now held in his arms.

            "I-I-it wasn't y-your fault," She sobbed, her crying muffled by his kimono as she continued to go into near-hysterics. "Whatever I did to make you run away f-from me, I'm sorry, Inuya-yasha…"

            "What…what _you_ did?" Inuyasha asked, startled and surprised, but Kagome didn't seem to hear him as she just kept sobbing into the chest of his shirt.

            _'Good going, BAKA!'_ He roared to himself as he began stroking her hair with his claws in a desperate attempt to calm her down.

            "Shhh…shhh, Kagome…it's alright. You didn't do anything…," he whispered as he began to rock her back and forth, almost as if she was a child again. "Stop crying, Kagome…it wasn't your fault…it really wasn't…"

            Kagome's eyes, red and puffy from the tears that still fell down her face, met with Inuyasha's as she managed to ask, 

            "Nani???"  
            Inuyasha laid his head on Kagome's, holding her to his chest all the tighter now; wishing that he would never cause her pain, never hurt her, never wound her like this again.

            "It wasn't your fault, Kagome," he whispered, still rocking her back and forth. "You didn't do anything…just…please, stop crying."

            "But…you were so sad back at the campsite; and you ran away from me when I tried to talk to you, what did…"

            Inuyasha put one clawed fingertip to her mouth as he lowered himself to the ground, gently pulling Kagome down as well, her head resting on his lap…_'Just as she held me when I was wounded by the spider,'_ Inuyasha realized.

            "Why would I ever run from you, Kagome?" He questioned, gently stroking her hair as he stared down into her beautiful eyes once again. He smiled—not a smirk, not a sneer, but a true smile—and said, "Don't worry about that, Kagome; it wasn't your fault—I'd never run from you."

            Kagome stared up into his eyes, seeing something she'd never seen—a lack of arrogance? Love? Happiness?—even as Inuyasha saw something just as pure in her eyes; something he'd have seen before if he had only bothered to look.

            "Nete, Kagome…," he whispered, as he stared up to look at the blazing heavens. "Nete…"

            And Kagome slept.

            Phew, another one of my 500-word-or-less chapters that have inexplicably transformed into 1000+-word-long chapters…weehee for me! ^_^

            Well, I hope you liked the newest chapter; thus continues my 3 or 4 day (I forget how long…) updating streak; and thanks to all who reviewed (especially those who reviewed more than once ^_^ thank you very much!). 

            By the way (this is for Kagomai and everybody else who didn't understand those Japanese words I used), here are some of them translated:

            Nani: What?

            Itte: Polite command for "to go" (I believe I already translated this one)

            Teme: More vulgar word for "you"; can also be loosely translated as, "bastard"

            Omae: Not sure if I've used this; informal word for "you"

            Bukkoroshite yaru: Haven't used this one yet, but since it's my favorite phrase in Japanese, Inuyasha uses it all the time, and I'm gonna think of how to work it in, I'll translate it here. Literally translated, it means "I'm going to beat you to death"; with colloquialism and all the other doodads of the Japanese language, it can also be translated as, "I'm gonna kick your ass!". (PS: If you ever want to understand what Inuyasha says when he's on a cursing rant, buy a book called 'Making out in Japanese'; it's got some _excellent_ curse words in it, hahaha)

            Well, that's it for today, folks; I have nothing to do this weekend (aside from work), and I'm getting a new computer tomorrow so I'll be glued to that all day, which basically means I'll enjoy using the internet and typing up the next chapter for it. 

Finally, as always, please read and review! ^_^


	7. Inuyasha to Kagome no Asagohan

            Aa, shitsurei shimashita!!! I'm a baka, I made the list because the word "nete" reminded me to, then I forgot to put nete in…gomen ne!

            Nete=a polite command for "to sleep", like itte. It sounded better to me than, "Sleep, Kagome; sleep" so I used it.

            Shitsurei shimashita: basically a big apology; used mostly for people superior in social status to you (ie, instead of saying "Gomen nasai" (sorry) to your boss, you'd use Shitsurei shimashita). Literally translated, means "I've committed a rudeness"

            Koibito: keeping up with another of my "favorite words in Japanese that tie in with my fan-fic somehow", I'll translate this here. Koibito means lover/sweetheart/soulmate; probably my second favorite word in Japanese ^_^.

            Ocha: Standard word for 'tea', sounds really harsh if you drop the 'o' but still means the same thing.

            Oh well, back to the fic…most of you probably didn't see chapter 6, because even I couldn't find it; I posted it at like 8:30 last night but Fanfiction.net didn't update for a loooong time (ie I was up at midnight and it still didn't show). Oh well, you just get to read two chapters in a row then ^_^ enjoy!

            I don't own Inuyasha; since I don't own him, my ideas are nothing more than faceless entities swirling somewhere in the depths of an Internet server. But you all seem to like them, and I really appreciate it ^,^

Chapter Seven

            The forest—the night before seeming as if it were a dark monster, poised to spring, to coil, to suffocate—took on a completely different aspect as it jumped up over the horizon and suffused the forest with a glow of piquant beauty; a beautiful glow none too different than that which illuminated the sleeping faces of Kagome and Inuyasha, still propped up against the tree.

            Inuyasha, however, was not asleep for long after the rising sun; less than a quarter of an hour after the sun began it's heavenward climb, Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open at the sudden change of light.

            He yawned mightily and began reaching his foot up to scratch his ear (a/n: he _can_ do this, by the way: he did it once in the anime after he was woken up by Sango frapping Miroku over the head with her bone boomerang), but stopped as something told him to stop. Blinking stupidly, he yawned as he looked down at whatever was stopping him from scratching his ears—and promptly stopped as he realized it was Kagome.

            "It wasn't a dream?" Inuyasha wondered out loud as he recanted the previous night; Kagome running into his arms, crying about something she thought she'd done to her. He remembered holding her close to his chest, tears streaming down her face as he looked down into her eyes…sitting against the tree, Kagome's head in his lap as he stroked her hair, whispering for her to stop crying…

            It wasn't a dream.

            He sat a moment more, savoring this memory so that his inner light would have another weapon in which to fight the darkness of his life's experiences, before he gingerly took off his outer kimono and rolled it into a soft pillow.

            Lifting Kagome's head, gently so as not to disturb her, he slid himself out from under her and placed his kimono-pillow under her head. He turned towards the forest, but something held him as he looked back at Kagome, her face that of a radiant angel in her sleep.

            He returned to her side once more, kneeling as he held her head to his chest and whispered,

            "Sleep well, Kagome."

            He regretfully released his hold upon her as he turned towards the green, tangled mass of life that surrounded them both; with one final, longing look, he leapt into the air and sniffed the air around him for any sign of prey.

            It was time for the hunt.

            Aa, shitsurei shimashita!!! I'm a baka, I made the list because the word "nete" reminded me to, then I forgot to put nete in…gomen ne!

            Nete=a polite command for "to sleep", like itte. It sounded better to me than, "Sleep, Kagome; sleep" so I used it.

            Shitsurei shimashita: basically a big apology; used mostly for people superior in social status to you (ie, instead of saying "Gomen nasai" (sorry) to your boss, you'd use Shitsurei shimashita). Literally translated, means "I've committed a rudeness"

            Koibito: keeping up with another of my "favorite words in Japanese that tie in with my fan-fic somehow", I'll translate this here. Koibito means lover/sweetheart/soul mate; probably my second favorite word in Japanese ^_^.

            Ocha: Standard word for 'tea', sounds really harsh if you drop the 'o' but still means the same thing.

            Baka: Anybody who watches anime should know this; hell, it's probably the only word as widely known as 'hai'. For those few who don't, it means fool, idiot, or stupid (when used as an adjective)

            Oh well, back to the fic…most of you probably didn't see chapter 6, because even I couldn't find it; I posted it at like 8:30 last night but Fanfiction.net didn't update for a loooong time (ie I was up at midnight and it still didn't show). Oh well, you just get to read two chapters in a row then ^_^ enjoy!

            I don't own Inuyasha; since I don't own him, my ideas are nothing more than faceless entities swirling somewhere in the depths of an Internet server. But you all seem to like them, and I really appreciate it ^,^

--Later, back at the campsite…--

            "Inuyasha…," Kagome mumbled in her sleep, reaching up to where he still lay in her dreams; not wanting to leave this perfect place, not wanting to wake up and see that he was not still with her; comforting her; caring for her…

            "Inuyasha?" She asked groggily as her head rolled off the makeshift pillow that Inuyasha had left for her; her dreams faded, darkened, and then vanished as her head tumbled onto the soft grass next to the blanket.

            She sat up groggily, and looked at the spot where Inuyasha had sat the night before; holding her close…or had she merely dreamed it?

            _'No,'_ she told herself. _'I'm sure I didn't imagine it…right? I know I apologized to him, and he held me…but did he really…I mean, did he…'_

"Oi, Kagome," Inuyasha said softly, seeing that Kagome had finally awakened. "Why are you staring at that tree???"

            Kagome blushed a little in embarrassment as she turned around to say 'good morning' to Inuyasha—unfortunately for her, she was stopped in the middle of her greeting as an astounding sight met her eyes: Inuyasha was perched over a fire.

            With a frying pan and kettle.

            _Cooking breakfast._

She felt a strange desire to go back to sleep as he stared back at her with questioning eyes; at the same time, she felt an even stronger desire (although this one was more understandable) to burst into a hysterical fit of giggles as she saw Inuyasha flipping over some form of steak in the frying pan as he stared back at her with puzzling eyes. 

            She decided to ignore both of these impulses, as the tangy aroma of whatever Inuyasha was cooking began making her stomach howl, as she hadn't had anything to eat since before last night.

            She got up off the ground groggily, stumbling over a little dirt knoll in her bare feet, and finally plopped herself down next to Inuyasha just as he began taking the food (which, by now, was making Kagome absolutely _ravenous_) out of the frying pan and tossing it down upon the plate that he had borrowed from Kagome's travel-bag (how it had lasted this long without bursting at the seams from the strain, Inuyasha would never know), and thrust it into Kagome's arms.

            "Here, eat. Even a human could hear your stomach from twenty feet away," he grumbled; Kagome was surprised to see that not only had he provided the meat, but there was also rice and even a couple of eggs on her plate; the kettle began to screech, and in a motion so fast Kagome only caught a glimpse, she suddenly had a cup of ocha to wash down her breakfast with.

            Kagome began to speak, but Inuyasha cut her off before she got the second word out.

            "You're hungry. Eat. Then you can say whatever you want," Inuyasha said as he tossed a second slab of meat onto the frying pan and set it over the fire. He then turned to Kagome diligently and waited expectantly until she began to eat; although a little nervous from his stare (and more nervous from his cooking, since he'd never cooked for them before and she suspected he'd never had much occasion to cook well for himself), began eating, and soon found to her surprise that it was actually quite good.

            Within five minutes, she had eaten her substantial breakfast and drained several cups of tea, only to leave Inuyasha thinking, _'And here I thought that I'd cooked too much…'_

            Kagome sighed contentedly, then bowed her head to Inuyasha as she said, "Arigatou" (a/n: I'm not even going to bother to translate this; all of you should know, lol).

            Inuyasha blushed slightly, then turned his head away as he muttered, "Feh, it's no big deal."

            Kagome looked at the blush that slightly suffused his cheeks with a pinkish glow, then asked, "Thank you for the breakfast, but…ah…why did you cook it?"

            He didn't answer, but his blush grew even deeper still as Kagome grew even more puzzled.

            "Inuyasha…?" she inquired again.

            "I…uh…Ididittomakeupforlastnight," he said quickly, his blush now painfully red as he jerked his head in the opposite direction as hers, trying to hide his…

            _'What, shame? I'm not ashamed of anything…what, then, in embarrassment!? I can't be _embarrassed! _Demons do _NOT_ get embarrassed!!!!' _He roared to himself.

            Kagome herself blushed slightly at this straightforward (well, more straightforward than Inuyasha had ever been with her before) answer, then tried to force down her blush as she said, "It wasn't your fault, Inuyasha."

            Inuyasha then whipped his now-red-hot face towards Kagome and then dropped his head and said,

            "What do you mean, it _was_ my fault—if I hadn't run off like that, I wouldn't have made you worry, and I wouldn't have hurt you and made you cry," he said, feeling his face (unbelievably) grow hotter.

            It's amazing how many shades of red somebody's face can have.

            Kagome, her face now nearly as red as Inuyasha's, turned her face down; the two young adults entering into a silence that seemed as loud as any argument they'd had before; and although Kagome could stand this for only a short length of time, Inuyasha couldn't stand it for any. 

            "Why were you crying?" He whispered to Kagome, turning his head towards hers; simultaneously lifting her head up gently by the chin with his clawed fingertips.

            _'Gods, I can't answer…even if I wanted to answer, I don't know why I cried…just, when I saw he was sad…and how much pain I thought I'd caused him, I just…I couldn't…,'_ she thought, still keeping her eyes averted to the side.

            "Why, Kagome?"

            "Because, I…I…"

            _'Gods, I can't do this!'_

"Because I thought I'd…I thought that I'd…"

            "You thought you'd what?" Inuyasha asked, still gently cradling her chin in his claws.

            "I thought that I'd…," she tried again, but she gasped suddenly and whipped her head around as what felt like a lightning bolt ran through her head.

            "Inuyasha!" She whispered, her voice going from halting and embarrassed to concerned and urgent in an amazingly fluid change. 

            Caught off guard by this sudden change, Inuyasha almost fell forward again, catching himself before he tumbled into the fire (and his now-sizzling steak).

            "What!?" He cried, reflexively snapping back to his normal, what-the-hell-in-Kami's-name-is-going-on, self as Kagome instantly went from awkward and embarrassed to the urgent and half-concerned, half-afraid voice she used whenever there was a jewel shard near.

            "Three jewel shards are near here: not fused, they're individual shards; and they're moving towards us faster than any human could."

            _'That's _IT!?_' _Inuyasha cried to himself, then caught a hold of himself as he realized what he'd just said: whatever Kagome was about to say to him next was more important than the jewel shards.

            Lifting his nose into the air, Inuyasha took a deep breath and smelled, and then immediately stopped: he'd gotten all he needed to know.

            The smell of rot, leaving it's black footprints across green life; the faint, acrid stench of jaki growing stronger as it grew nearer; the reek of evil flowing out from it like a tide of filth.

            And the final clue: the sweet smell of healing herbs, administered to a certain area among the back; the smell of what could almost be clay, but was, in reality, the flesh of a foul body.

            Naraku's reincarnation of Onigumo had come again.

            Bwa ha ha, I leave you with a cliffhanger. And by the way, if this doesn't get posted before midnight: I submitted it at 11:45, thus continuing my streak of updating once per day! MWA HA HA!

            Hmmm…I'm slightly surprised I didn't get more reviews from chapter 6 (personally it's my favorite so far), but I'm guessing it's because fanfiction.net screwed it over by not showing it to people for some reason and not updating for a long time. Bah.

            Oh well, there's all the translations of the Japanese words I think I've used so far: if I've missed any, feel free to hit that REVIEW button, and submit it in your REVIEW ^_^

            Thoughts, comments, constructive criticism, fight scenes, gore scenes, love scenes, challenge fics, translations, all are welcome in your REVIEWS. Lol, I'm sleepy…I'll update again tomorrow, when my computer finally comes…^_^__


	8. Tetsusaiga no Dogou

            Woohoo, Fanfiction.net's lagging updates didn't mess up you guys getting to read my story! Hahaha…oh well, since I've translated everything else into English from Japanese, I figure I may as well translate the chapter titles now.

            Chapter One: Nanimo Hajimatte Iru (Everything Begins)

            Chapter Two: Sickness of the Sengoku Jidai (Sickness of the Feudal Era)

            Chapter Three: Inuyasha no ii kangae (Inuyasha's Good Idea)

            Chapter Four: Kagomesama no Kyousetsu (Kagome's Decision)

            Chapter Five: Munashiku no ai? (Is it Fruitless Love?)

            Chapter Six: Kagome no Koimizu (Kagome's Tears of Love)

            Chapter Seven: Kagome to Inuyasha no Asagohan (Inuyasha and Kagome's Breakfast)

            Chapter Eight: Tetsuaiga no Dogou (Angry Roar of the Tetsuaiga)

            Well, there ya go; I just thought some people may want to know what the chapter titles meant…enjoy the next chapter! ^_^

            My psychologist says Inuyasha isn't mine, BUT HE KNOWS NOTHING OF THE GNOMES THAT STEAL MY UNDERWEAR! (heeheheee…South Park will corrupt your mind…)

Chapter Eight

            "Kagome," Inuyasha said, eyes fixed in the direction that he had smelled Onigumo as his hand habitually wandered down to the hilt of his Tetsuaiga. "Get your bow and quiver, and stay put."

            "What!?" Kagome cried, grabbing his arm as he turned to leap away. "You're going to go battle that…that…_monster_ by yourself after he was barely defeated by you, Miroku, and Sango together last time!? (a/n: I don't really remember how he was defeated in the anime; it's been a while since I've seen that episode. If anybody knows, please post it in you review) I don't _think_ so!"

            "Yeah, and do you remember what he was after last time!?" Inuyasha growled, still not moving his eyes from where Onigumo was approaching. Smell was redundant now; a heavy sense of jaki had settled over the forest as the evil power grew closer.

            "Yeah, he was after _me_, Inuyasha; I don't care: I'm not going to let you fight him by yourself!"  
            "TEME! It's safer here, and you _wont_ distract me this time! You're staying here _and that's FINAL!_" Inuyasha yelled at Kagome, temper in full force, as he turned around and ran at top speed into the forest, hand clutched to his Tetsuaiga. 

            Kagome stood, staring open-mouthed as Inuyasha ran at full away from her, then her face flushed bright red in anger as she muttered angrily,

            "He's telling me what to do, when he stands a good chance of getting killed? I don't think so…," she growled as she pulled her bow and arrow out of her backpack and began running towards the almost magnetic pull of the Shikon shards now imbedded in Onigumo.

--Inuyasha's POV—

            He ran towards the stench as if there were no tomorrow, wind whipping past his ears, blowing his hair out into a mane of silver fire; a casual jump brought him from the forest floor to the branch of a nearby tree, while another vaulted him through the top of the forest canopy and sent him flying towards his destination in one fell swoop.

            _'Damnit, why the hell does he have to attack _now_ of all moments!? We haven't had problems with demons in the past week, and RIGHT WHEN KAGOME'S ABOUT TO TELL ME he decides to come and ruin everything!'_

He didn't have long to dwell upon his anger and frustration; the forest canopy rose rapidly about him as he flipped gracefully back and landed in a crouched position behind what looked to be like a normal human…a normal human who reeked of jaki and had a horrid burn scar in the shape of a spider scarred upon his back, of course.

            The man (_'Onigumo…'_ Inuyasha spat bitterly) was still for a second, then turned around slowly, an unsettlingly wide grin on his face as he began to speak.

            "Inuyasha, how nice to see you again," he commented calmly as he stared into the eyes of one very pissed-off hanyou clutching one very big sword.

            "Don't offer me your false courtesy, bastard; you were trying to find Kagome and me, and I want to know why," he growled acidly.

            "Kagome? You mean Kikyo?" He asked, receiving only a harsh growl from Inuyasha in response. "No matter, I'll have whoever it is soon enough: as soon as I take care of you, of course…"

            "You mean you're still trying to capture Kagome?"

            Onigumo laughed slightly as he replied, "Of course, why else do you think Naraku released me once more? In fact, he even gave me these Shikon shards so that I may finally have enough power to defeat you once and for all, Inukoro…"

            The ground below Inuyasha suddenly exploded in a bouquet of spiked tentacles, made of a flesh that could have almost been clay; tips harder than steel raked Inuyasha's arms as he leapt into the air, the Tetsuaiga flashing in a gleaming arc in the morning sun as he chopped off the tentacles like dead lumber; his claws took care of those more stubborn and persistent.

            Much to Inuyasha's shock, the severed appendages regenerated as quickly as they fell, leaving viscous gobs of squirming flesh pulsing upon the ground as another wave of tentacles were launched at Inuyasha amid Onigumo's arrogant, raucous laughter.

            _'That…jackass…is…going…to…pay,' _Inuyasha grunted between sword-strokes, hewing more and more tentacles from the forest being launched at him. Finally gaining an inch of breathing room, he concentrated his energy into the Tetsuaiga; the power of the wind began swirling with verdant force around the Tetsuaiga…

            "_Kaze no KIZU!_"

            A huge flash of yellow light soared outward in the same pattern as Inuyasha's Sankon Tetsusou, except that this particular attack was several dozen times more powerful: huge trenches were rent in the green floor of the forest as Onigumo lifted himself up above the attack that would have rent him (temporarily) limb from limb.

            Inuyasha merely grinned as the wind swirled around the fang of the Tetsuaiga, and his grin grew all the wider as he unleashed a second blast, filled with all the rage, frustration, and adrenaline that was coursing through Inuyasha's body.

            Onigumo's eyes grew wide as the energy tore through his body; power that could destroy a hundred demons ripped through muscle, sawed through flesh, and shattered bone as the shocking intensity of the light nearly blinded it's target. Gobs of viscous flesh spattered the ground in the area surrounding the blast as his head, attached to his torso (the only part of him that was even remotely whole) slammed into the ground, Onigumo gasping for breath amidst the smoking ruins of his flesh.

            Not waiting to give his adversary even a moment to regenerate, Inuyasha bounded towards the fallen "human" and raised his sword to deliver what he thought would be a finishing strike, but was thwarted in that attempt when something unexpected happened.

            A coil of flesh, what looked to have once been part of his upper arm, leapt up and caught the hanyou by the neck, stopping his charge and forcing him to the ground while other fragments of flesh built upon Inuyasha's body and pinned him to the ground as he visibly regenerated before his eyes; within seconds of the blast that would have incinerated most demons, Onigumo was whole and not in the least happy.

            "Fool, what trifle is your weak sword!? I've felt it's bite before, but never has it been this strong!" He cried as he spat blood from his mouth. "I'm going to enjoy watching this now…"

            From his now-human arm, a blade formed; with a single thought, nothing more, the knife burst into deadly reality as Onigumo knelt down upon Inuyasha's chest; grinning a grin that would have put even Naraku himself to shame, he gently placed the tip against Inuyasha's now-exposed throat as his victim struggled to release himself from the gruesome bonds of severed flesh.

            "Fun time," Onigumo said, beginning to slide the knife over Inuyasha's throat…

            …and was stopped by a sudden blaze of purple light that lit up the entire forest as it slammed into the reanimated monster crushing Inuyasha's chest. Caught off-guard by the unexpected, vicious attack, said monster was flung back, crashing through several trees as the arrow continued its flight unabated.

            "Kikyo?" Inuyasha asked as he attempted to crane his neck back to get a better look, for surely only Kikyo could fire a spirit arrow with that much power…

            "Not Kikyo, Inuyasha," Kagome grunted through clenched teeth as she began hacking at the coil of flesh that bound Inuyasha's right hand, still clenching the Tetsuaiga, with one of her arrows; the severed flesh hissed, withered, and crumbled into ash as the young miko's energy permeated. "Kagome."

            "Kagome???" Inuyasha asked softly, then immediately snapped back into over-protective mode. "I told you to stay back at the camp!"

            "And I told _you_ that it was foolish to fight someone like him without anybody around to help! And guess what? _I was right_!" Kagome cried, working Inuyasha's hand free. Inuyasha reached over, dropping the Tetsuaiga as he slashed the remaining flesh binding his limbs into nothingness.

            "I don't care if you were right or not, you're _not_ staying here! Don't you remember: Onigumo's after _you_, if he gets you who knows what in the hell he'll do to you!? And if you're still here when he comes back, guess what: he's gonna stop trying to fight me and go after you, _just like before_! Now I'm _telling you_ to leave NOW!" He roared, and Kagome swore she saw his eyes flash red as he grabbed her wrist none-too-gently and pushed her towards the sanctity of the forest as he wheeled to face the returning Onigumo.

            "Too late…," Onigumo laughed, rushing back into the clearing at top speed as spiked tentacle-arms lashed out at Inuyasha, only to leap above him as they made for Kagome, who was still sitting, shocked by Inuyasha's sudden rage.

            "Kagome! _SANKON TETSUSOU!!!!!'_

            Yellow energy lanced out from Inuyasha's claws, shredding the arms reaching out to claim _his_ Kagome, and a rain of flesh once more pattered the forest. Onigumo lashed out again and again, each time evading Inuyasha as he desperately tried to grab the girl he believed to be Kikyo, only to have the offending limbs slashed to bits by his opponent's claws and sword; it seemed they had reached a stalemate, yet something, a warning and a jangling alarm, rang inside the back of Inuyasha's mind.

            _'What kind of game is he playing? He's not trying to kill me to get Kagome…yet he's not even moving, he's just standing there and seemingly allowing me to destroy whatever he throws my way. There's no sense to it, none at all…'_

Onigumo merely laughed each time his attack was thwarted; Kagome still lay, safe and untouched, behind Inuyasha; more and more flesh was scattered around the forest, bits and pieces found their way onto Kagome, who was too transfixed watching the battle between the two to even notice that it was pulsing like some hideous heart as it gripped tighter and tighter; more and more bits of Onigumo crawled to each other, fusing into larger pieces, seemingly lying coiled in wait.

            _'Wait a second…he's LETTING me destroy his body! That means…KAGOME!'_

            "NOW!" Onigumo cried, as his final 'attack' was reduced to shrapnel by Inuyasha's defenses. All of the flesh that Inuyasha had scattered, the pieces of severed body that had laid in wait, sprung together as one and welled up as a black tide to consume their target.

            A tide of severed body parts threw itself up off the ground and wrapped around Kagome's legs, throwing her to the ground as she struggled madly to tear herself free from the flood that was moving with astounding speed to cover her waist; her chest; her arms…her neck…

            …and with a final yell of, "INUYASHA!", Onigumo's form swallowed up Kagome's face, locking Kagome inside a cocoon of Onigumo's entrails as Inuyasha's anguished cry of, "KAGOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" resounded through the still forest.

            Well, another chapter done, finally with some fighting instead of that sappy romance…lol. Oh well, I know this fight scene wasn't all that good, but just wait until the ending (yeah, I've already got the ending written up…it was running around in my head before I even started this story, and it finally motivated me enough to put it down on paper…er, on MS Word. 

            Well, as always, please read and review, I really appreciate the feedback that I've been receiving. I'll be updating tomorrow, as usual; and I'm accepting requests/challenges/feedback/whatever you want to throw at me (as usual), just post it in your review.

            On another note, with this chapter, two of my goals have been completed: my first goal being to get to ten thousand words (looks like I overshot that goal by about 1200 words….0^_^), and my second being to have gotten 20 reviews (both by the end of this weekend). Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Thanks!__


	9. Inuyasha no Shunkan Kasei

            Well, seeing as how I'm not in the least sleepy, I decided to start working on my next chapter; hey, who knows: maybe I'll get it finished before I get sleepy and finish it…well, read and enjoy!

            I don't own Inuyasha; give me a time machine, however, and I will ^_^.

Chapter Nine

            "_KAGOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_!" Inuyasha screamed, running over to where Kagome now lay, entombed in entrails and vile green flesh; he clawed at it, but his claws did nothing more than ricochet off the hardening biological sarcophagus, and he dared not try the Kaze no Kizu for fear that it would not only blow the cocoon away, but Kagome as well.

            "Aaaaaaaaaaah…," Onigumo sighed, closing his eyes and spreading his arms in pleasure. "Even now, she becomes a part of me…Kikyo, even if I cannot have you as a bride, you shall be mine…"

            Inuyasha tried to rip away the cocoon, but once more to no avail; he could hear Kagome's desperate breathing going more and more ragged as the poison began to seep into her. Try as she might, there wasn't even enough air for her to scream now; and as Inuyasha heard her take what he thought was one of her final breaths, something inside him snapped; something that had been held back for as long as he could remember, something that he couldn't remember existing inside him before, broke suddenly.

            "Take your filthy flesh off of Kagome," Inuyasha said, in a voice no louder than a whisper, but a whisper that carried the power and strength of a thousand demons.

            "What did you say?" Onigumo crowed, opening his eyes again as he saw the hanyou still kneeling, now his head against his chest and his hand on the Tetsuaiga. "I'm sorry, speak up: I couldn't hear you!"

            Inuyasha did not respond; instead, he rose, slowly and deliberately, from the ground. No petty anger was in his stance as he wheeled around; no arrogance or sarcasm tainted his voice as he spoke again, cold, remorseless fury defining every line in his face, every step he took towards Onigumo.

            "I said take your filthy hands off Kagome, _teme_," he growled, the chilled calm not leaving his voice as a palpable aura of power and fury, melding into one unstoppable force, sprang up around him.

            "And what are you going to do if I don't? My Kikyo's not around to save you anymore, even as you waste time with pointless banter she becomes ever a part of me, bit by bit she melds with me, bit by bit she's _becoming_ me, and there's not a thing you can…"

            In a motion so fast that Onigumo could not see it, a motion that matched the speed of his older brother Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha covered the fifteen foot difference in a blur of speed and now held his adversary by the throat, claws digging none-too-gently into his throat, dark blood seeping down his claws as he spoke once more.

            "She's not _your_ Kikyo; she's not Kikyo period. Her name is _Kagome_," he said softly, tightening his death grip on Onigumo's throat. "Say her true name."

            Onigumo smiled, then said,

            "You know, I'd really rather not," and then began laughing once more as the tentacles shot out of his chest, straight on target to eviscerate Inuyasha, and would have…would have, had they not shattered against some unseen shield generated from his body.

            "I'm getting tired of that trip, _baka_!" He snarled, and then, raising his hand, he plunged his claws into Onigumo's wide-open chest, searching for the source of his regeneration, the Shikon shards…

            …and smiled coldly as his hands closed around Onigumo's heart, the jewel shards crying to him from within.

            "Say it," Inuyasha demanded coldly, relishing the look of exquisite anguish plastered on his foe's face.

            "Her name…is…_KIKYO_!" Onigumo spat out between clenched teeth, blood mixing with saliva and dripping down his face.

            "Wrong answer."

            With a deft, deliberate motion, Inuyasha clenched his fist around Onigumo's heart and ripped it straight out of his chest; a fountain of blood sprayed up as rent arteries dumped their contents into his now-empty chest. The heart gave one last feeble thud, then stopped as Inuyasha slashed it open, drawing out the three shards from within, and moved with lightning speed over to what could very well be Kagome's coffin.

            A strength greater than he had ever known coursed through Inuyasha as he gripped the iron sarcophagus…and a scream that went up to the heavens tore through the still air as he rent the flesh in twain and pulled Kagome from her tomb, her breathing stopped.

            "Breath, Kagome…," Inuyasha whispered, placing a hand to her chin and shaking it gently. "Please, breathe…"

            Even as Onigumo's final breath rushed out in a shriek, Kagome's breathe rushed in, and she exhaled: a sound as sweet and pure to Inuyasha as a newborn baby taking its first breath.

            Her eyes fluttered open as she looked up to see her savior…

            "Inuyasha…," she breathed, her eyes focusing unsteadily on the hanyou's face; smiling up at him even as he smiled down on her, wrapping her in his warm embrace as he thanked the gods that she was still alive.

            Aaaah, my second favorite chapter now…a little gory, but hey: you don't like it, you don't have to read it (but if you didn't like it, why would you still be reading it? ^_^). Well, not even forty-five minutes after I post my 8th chapter, my 9th is already done…I just couldn't sleep, and for once not sleeping _helped_ me!

            Well, I'm done for tonight…please read and review, as always!


	10. Yoru no Naka De Ai

Hey, all; finally: Chapter Ten in my ongoing Inuyasha fic! I really really appreciate all the feedback I get in my stories, and I'd like to thank DiaBLo for pointing out that I was only accepting signed reviews...0^_^ heh heh heh....sorry to all those who were too lazy to log in and review (I've been there before...); to Aldrean Treu Peri, they do have Japanese at my school for the time being, but since our school district has become extremely poor (you may have heard about Kuwait screwing us over and embezzling money from the school system), they're going to be cutting it, beginning either first semester of next year or beginning second semester of next year.  
Well, this may not get up tonight, seeing as how my new computer doesn't have MS Word on it and Wordpad is deciding to be a jerk to me, so yeah...here goes nothing!  
  
I don't own Inuyasha; I'd be content, however, with owning his ears ^_^.  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
Night had begun to fall as Inuyasha once more contemplated matters, staring at the hideous black bloodstains on his claws as he stared deep inside his soul, searching for something he could not find...  
'What happened to me back there?' He thought, demanding his body to answer him. 'WHAT!? It was almost like my demon blood had taken over me...but I didn't go insane; didn't try to kill everything within a mile radius; I was in complete control of my actions!'  
He tried to shut down his mind and gather his swirling thoughts; he felt a tide of frustration and anger begin welling up inside of him as Kagome sat, supposedly resting from the ordeal of today, but sensing something wrong in Inuyasha as he began banging his head against the tree he had chosen as 'home' for the time being.  
'I felt the same sense...the same sense that something had came lose inside me...as when my demon blood takes over me, but it couldn't have been that...I had the Tetsuaiga with me.' Thud thud. 'Then why did my speed increase? Why was I suddenly able to rip Kagome free from her trap as if I was doing no more than shredding paper?' Thudthudthudthud. 'AND WHY THE HELL CAN'T I FIGURE THIS OUT!?' Thudthudthudthudthudthudthud!  
Kagome was torn between laughing at the sight of the mighty Inuyasha pummeling his head against a tree, but at the same time worried about the fact that he was doing that; Inuyasha rarely moved when he was thinking, to beat himself up like that either meant he was really mad or really frustrated. She pondered over whether or not to go over and try and comfort him, the warmth and tranquility of the blankets (coupled with the fact that he was probably going to yell at her for her witnessing him banging his head against the tree) fighting against her sense that Inuyasha would benefit from her presence.  
Morals winning out over petty pleasures, Kagome rose from the blankets that she had lain in since Inuyasha brought her back from the site of Onigumo's attack; stepping lightly, trying to avoid tipping Inuyasha off that she was coming for as long as possible, Kagome walked over to the tall tree. Inuyasha still did not notice Kagome, even as she stood under the tree and looked straight up to see him lost in thought (thankfully leaving the poor tree alone; the assault of his headbutts had already left a small dent in the tree).  
"Oi, Inuyasha!" She cried, then clamped a hand over her mouth as she realized what she had just said.  
'Did I just said "Oi"!?'  
'Did Kagome just say 'Oi"???' Inuyasha wondered, laughing inside in spite of himself as he leapt off the high tree branch and landed beside Kagome.  
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Inuyasha demanded, crossing his arms and shooting a concerned glare at Kagome, checking to make sure she was really okay: he still hadn't gotten over the shock, the pain, of seeing her breathing stopped; it was worse than when she lay dying with the cursed Shikon Shards in her throat: at least there she had still been alive...  
"Yes; but first I want to say one thing," she said, smiling at Inuyasha's attempt to feign anger to cover his concern. "I wanted to say thank you for saving me from Onigumo today; I would have died if it weren't for you."  
"Well you shouldn't have followed me in the first place," Inuyasha said blandly, not taking his eyes off Kagome's face; ears and nose tuned so that if the slightest thing was wrong with Kagome, he'd know about it and could send her straight back to bed.  
"What!?" She cried, looking at him in disbelief. "If I hadn't followed you, Onigumo would have killed you!"  
"So?"  
"What do you mean, 'So?'!?!? He would have killed you without a second thought and all you can say is, 'So?'!?!?!"  
"He may have killed me, he may not have; I don't care," he said, once more his frustration getting in the way of him thinking clearly.  
"You don't care?" She asked, disbelievingly. "You don't care that your friends would have missed you? You don't care that I would have missed you?" She nearly screamed.  
Inuyasha just crossed his arms, turned his head away from Kagome, and muttered,  
"At least you would have been safe back at the camp that way."  
"I don't care if I would have been safe, you would have...huh???" Kagome stopped in midsentence, once more borrowing another of Inuyasha's phrases.  
"I said, 'At least you would have been safe back at the camp that way', didn't you hear? That's why I didn't want you to follow me," Inuyasha said, voice growing lower and softer, a smull blush forming on his cheeks; the hard edge of anger eroded from his voice as he slowly turned his head back to where his eyes could meet Kagome's.  
"But...you would have been killed," Kagome said, almost a question as confusion seeped into her voice while puzzled eyes found Inuyasha's soft amber-brown ones.  
Inuyasha, whose face was now as red as his kimono, merely replied, "Keh, I don't care. I'm not afraid of that," as he dropped his head to his chest and tried to hide his flaming face.  
Kagome paused a moment more, blinking stupidly, before the full meaning of Inuyasha's words crashed down upon her and she sat down next to him; for some inexplicable reason, she felt a mist of tears clouding over her eyes as she whispered,  
"You really mean that?"  
Inuyasha glanced up, his face still glowing a bright read, and nodded his head almost imperceptibly as Kagome waited with bated breath.  
Kagome lunged forward, grabbing him in a tight embrace around his chest as she buried her head into his shoulder; a single tear wound its way down her face, carving its way down her cheek, shivering expectantly on her chin, then dropping down to find peace upon Inuyasha's kimono; surprised by Kagome's sudden display of emotion, Inuyasha returned her embrace, holding her as gently as if she were spun glass as she whispered, "Thank you, Inuyasha...", burying her head even deeper into his shoulder as more tears found their way down to join the first.  
Inuyasha smiled, heart seemingly ready to burst as he looked down at the girl he now held in his arms, her scent invading his nose as he held her tight.   
'You see, I was right--she does care for you, baka; you were merely too blind to see it...'  
They stayed like this, intertwined in each others arms, for an interminable length of time: it was a million years, it was a second; it was the dawn of the universe, it was the end of time, before either of them spoke again.  
When they did, it was Inuyasha who broke the eternal silence with a single word: "Kagome?" he questioned, seeing the questioning in her eyes as her eyes met his once more, faces mere inches apart.  
"Hai, Inuyasha?" She whispered.  
  
I know, I know, it's rotten of me to cut you off like that, but I love cliffhangers (that and I also wanted to have material for another chapter tomorrow, bwa ha ha ha...well, my new computer's here, but I won't have MS Word till tomorrow...curses...  
Oh well; as always, please read and review: the more, the merrier! Jaa, mata ne! (Goodbye!) 


	11. Kisu o shite

            Hey all, guess what: two things. First, I'm finally back on MS Word (okay, maybe 'finally' isn't the right term; but hey: I was left without it for a whole day, and I almost didn't post last night because of it, lol), so the story shall continue at the once-per-day updating schedule (I doubt I'll do a repeat performance of a couple of nights ago, however: that wasn't two chapters in one night, that was two chapters in less than half an hour). Second off: tomorrow's my birthday, and no: I'm seriously not kidding. My birthday's on April Fool's Day, you would not BELIEVE how hard it is getting people to believe me…hahha.

            Lol…what can I say about people yelling at me about cliffhangers? You post them on your own fanfics, so it's time for you to get a taste of your own medicine -_-. 

–Sees fans loading guns—

            Hey, if you kill me, you'll never find out what happens….

            --Sees fans exchanging guns for tasers—

            Aaaah…okay then…without further delay, here's chapter 11! 0^_^

            I don't own Inuyasha; even if I did, I'd probably still be writing this: words can evoke far more emotions and feelings than pictures.

Chapter Eleven

            "Hai, Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered, eyes questioning as she looked up into soft amber eyes.

            _'I've fought demons that could destroy the world, battled my brother Sesshoumaru when he was after my blood, and I'm hunting Naraku right now; yet I'm afraid of _this_?' _Inuyasha questioned, then shook himself mentally as he whispered,

            "I've wanted to do this since we met…," he whispered softly, so low that Kagome almost didn't hear him as he leaned a fraction closer to her.

            "Do…what?" She asked, flustered and puzzled as her insides began screaming at her in much the same way Inuyasha's had been doing earlier.

            _'Ohhhh, no, he isn't…he is! If he does, I'm going to sit him to kingdom come…if he doesn't I'm going to pin him back to that damn tree...I'm not going to let him…I _have_ to let him, because I know I can't resist…'_

"This," he said softly, pausing to admire the perfect beauty of her face…then leaned in and pressed his lips against hers as Kagome's eyes bloomed wide with surprise—then closed as the passion of the moment overcame her.

            Time froze once more as the two trapped themselves in an embrace as old as time; a second or a millennium, it made no difference as the two sat there, finally free from the cages that had bound their emotions back; fire burned each inside the other, feeding the passion in the other's mind, their heart, their soul, as time stood still and they spiraled through an eternity.

            After—a second? A year? An eternity?—their lips parted, eyes still closed in the passion of their moment, wishing it would never leave, even as Kagome leaned close once more, hands intertwining with Inuyasha's as he wrapped her in his warm embrace, her head upon his shoulder as each completed the other.

            They stayed this way, they knew not how long; each holding the other, no words being said—no words needing to be said; the taste of each other lingered upon their lips as heart had met heart at last, and heavens satin black burned above with the consuming light of moon and star as they stay, locked inside their perfect moment of ecstasy.

--Time Passes…--

            Golden light once more reigned the land as Inuyasha slowly began to wake up, groggily regaining consciousness as the accursed sun invaded his dreams, blazing them into oblivion, driving away the sweet dream-smell of Kagome…

            …but wait, the smell wasn't fading? Could it be…no, it was a dream…surely she wouldn't let him…could it possibly be?

            His arm came alive again as a sudden shift from whatever he held jolted it awake, and Inuyasha's first fully conscious thoughts were,

            _'Whatever gods are in heaven or hell…if last night was a dream, a dream you've made so real to me, then I don't care where in heaven or hell I go: I'm using my wish upon the Shikon jewel to banish you from my life!'_

Tentatively, fearing that what happened last night…with _her_…would be no more than a tease, another fantasy painted upon his dreams, he opened his eyes…

            …and saw the perfect pools of blue of Kagome's eyes as she wrapped her arms around him once more, and whispered,

            "No, it wasn't a dream, Inuyasha…," before she stopped time once more with nothing more than a kiss.

            Well, there it is: I was originally going to have them kiss later on in the story, but hey: I was freestyling last night (basically, the way I write is this: I have an idea, then I write down that idea, then I just hurl myself headlong into whatever ideas pop up. It was an insignificant line in chapter 3 that launched this whole story, it gave me more ideas than any other part of my story…lol), and the setup was perfect. I hope you enjoyed it ^_^

            Wow, 41 reviews at last count…I'm impressed, both with myself and that enough people actually read this to _give_ me 41 reviews…heeheehee…well, as always, please read and review: challenge fictions, fight scenes, romance snippets, poetry; all requests are welcome! And if you have a question/just want to talk, my email address is Azevedojsh@aol.com and I'm always available to chat if you have AOL/AIM. Sorry for the story to be so short, but I felt that it worked best that way…hopefully you do too! Jaa for now!


	12. Kikyo no kaeru koto

            Well, here it is: my birthday update ^_^. I've had a pretty darn good birthday, and I'm in a really good mood right now; the fact I'm listening to Linkin Park's new album only heightens those feelings…lol.

            DracOnyx: Not to be mean or anything, but I found your latest review to be quite funny…I'm not sure if you were trying to say "cute" or "scary", either way it would be funny…(btw: if you meant cute, it's "Kawaii"; "Kowaii" means "Scary". Lol…sorry…^_^). Also, to Sauratos: no, I'm sorry, but I'm not a writer. I'm a 16 (well, 17 as of today…) year old guy who likes to write stuff about Inuyasha and goof around with stories that I conjure up out of the ether, but I've never actually published anything and I don't have plans to anytime soon. However, if you think I'm that good…^_-

            And here's some more Japanese words/grammar!

            Konyoukai: Soul demon.

            Naze: Why? Much like Nani can be used to say, "What!?", Naze can be used to ask, "Why!?"

            Kono ai ga wasuremashita: (You) forgot this love.

            X wa Y ga kowaii desu: inspired by DracOnyx, here's a little sentence structure you guys might be interested in; this means X is afraid of Y (I learned this last summer, when Japanese students came out for the summer and stayed with host families; I hosted one, and I found out that she was afraid of my tarantula when she told me this ^_^)

            Well, without further delay, here's chapter 12!

            I don't own Inuyasha; although if somebody gave him to me as a birthday present, I would be very happy ^,^.

Chapter 12

            Inuyasha and Kagome's romantic venture had, unfortunately, not gone unnoticed by certain prying eyes: a blue snakelike creature coiled as it watched the two young lovers engaged in their private bliss, then sprang away like an arrow shot from a bow, a blue soul lighting its path as it carried the blue orb in tribute to its master, Kikyo.

            It delved into deep, dark forests; soared high into night skies; and, finally, dipped low to see its master as it released the soul; pure blue light infused with the black Kikyo's body seemed to be radiating as she stood stiffly, her motions becoming more and more fluid as the blue light began winning over the black.

            The konyoukai (a/n: I have no idea what Kikyo's blue soul-grabber thingies are called, so I'm going to just call them konyoukai, which translates as 'soul demon'. If anybody knows the name of these things, let me know, and I'll be more than happy to do a story request for them) hissed slightly as it spun around Kikyo's fingers, twining up her arm ever-so-gently as it rested its head gingerly on her shoulder; not a word was spoken aloud betwixt the two as the konyoukai spun the tale of its findings to Kikyo, and when it was done, an aura of fury hung palpably over the clearing, even as Kikyo's porcelain features remained unchanged.

            "So, the hanyou has chosen the girl over me," she spat acidly, uttering hanyou as though it were a curse word, to the creature, which merely nodded its head in assent as Kikyo continued in her nearly-emotionless tone of voice. "He has chosen the girl, when he shall go to Hell with me…we shall see about this…," she muttered, her voice losing the cool tone as a bitter tone of anger seeped in, ringing as loudly to any listening as a hammer striking an anvil.

            Spinning sharply, a fell light of hatred-infused anger glowing in her eyes, Kikyo continued her solitary voyage across the mountains, seeking the hanyou who had left behind the warm embrace of Kagome for the more reluctant duty of preparing his day's kill for supper.

--Later that day, in the embrace of night—

             Inuyasha lay in a nearby tree, keeping a solitary vigil over the clearing that he had begun to call home, as they had wordlessly decided to stay here for another day; reflecting over the events of last night, he was torn between shouting for joy, screaming at himself for not defending Kagome against Onigumo's onslaught, and quiet reluctance at allowing Kagome to sleep by herself, not wishing to smother her with emotions he had kept pent-up for so long (a/n: I'm trying to do this the way I think they would in the anime; in all the stories I've read, it's basically Inuyasha kisses Kagome, they immediately become almost overfriendly with each other; once more, I'm just trying to write it the way I think would happen if/when they kiss in the series) as he contented himself with gazing over her sleeping form.

            A sudden hissing filled the clearing, followed by a brief, shockingly intense burst of purple light as Inuyasha barely managed to leap out of the way, demon reflexes and speed having responded instantly to the twang of the bow as the arrow took flight. Hand upon the hilt of his Tetsuaiga, Inuyasha whirled to face his enemy, but was stopped by his foe's voice.

            "Good to see your reflexes have not dulled, Inuyasha," Kikyo said, voice as bitter cold as the wind that gusted suddenly through the clearing.

            "Kikyo," Inuyasha whispered, drawing his hand away from its standard position upon the hilt of the Tetsuaiga. "What are _you_ doing here?"

            Kikyo merely smirked, almost an exact mirror of Inuyasha's more arrogant, less cold one, and chuckled softly as she said, "A little birdie told me you'd be staying here". With a thought, Kikyo's konyoukai descended from the starry sky and twined itself around her arm, cold blue eyes turned in the direction of Inuyasha as he said impassively, 

            "You were spying on us."

            "You're quick to catch on, hanyou," she said, cool and composed edge slowly beginning to slip from her voice as bitter anger once more worked its way into her throat, smiling triumphantly on the inside at the brief flicker of pain across his face at the word 'hanyou'. "One of my konyoukai spotted you staying here, with that girl…which is why I'm here tonight."

            With every word she spoke, every syllable that escaped from her lips, Inuyasha felt what he thought was love—what he thought had been pure, undying love—slipping away, revealing the ugly truth to him; revealing what he himself had been too blind to see, and what Kikyo still was. 

            "You saw me kissing Kagome," he said, not a trace of emotion tainting his voice.

            "I saw you kissing that girl," she echoed back, cold black staring into equally cold amber.

            "Her name is Kagome," he growled, hackles raising slightly as he did so. "And why don't you get on to the reason you're here tonight, Kikyo?"

            "Blunt as always, ne? You truly want to know why I'm here? I want to know why you've chosen that girl over me," she said, stepping closer to Inuyasha as she spoke. "I want to know why you've abandoned all that we had, all that we could have had, for a girl that's nothing more than my reincarnation; I want to know why you're throwing away mine—_our_—love, for nothing more than this girl."

            Inuyasha's hackles raised fully as she drew closer and closer to him, cold fire flashing in her eyes—flashing brighter with each step nearer—but he stood his ground, staying silent as she drew within five feet of him.

            "Kono ai ga wasuremashita?" Two feet. "Naze?" One foot. "Naze!?" She cried, grabbing Inuyasha around his shoulders and drawing him into a kiss, Inuyasha neither fighting her nor accepting her kiss; lips as ice against his warm face; he drew back, fire in his eyes as he prepared himself to speak…

            Well, here's chapter 12; it may be a little short (and a cliffhanger; haha, more people review when I leave them ^_^ Yes, I'm evil), but I'll conclude it tomorrow, same time, same place. As always, please read and review, I'm really trying to get 100 reviews and break 50,000 words before I end this fan-fiction, and every review helps! Post story ideas, thoughts, comments, constructive criticism, challenge fics, fight scenes, romance scenes, etc; I accept everything!


	13. Mou ichidou Kikyo o shinu

            Whoa…I'm impressed and very grateful for the number of reviews on chapter 12, 16 at last count with probably more still to come…wow, didn't think I'd get _that_ many on this chapter (and the vast majority want to see two people killed: Kikyo (can't say as I blame you for that; I'm not sure if the original Kikyo was any kinder than the current ash-and-clay Kikyo, but in any event she seemed like a jerk and seemed to manipulate Inuyasha rather than love her) and me (heh, can't say as I blame you about that one either; but I'd prefer to see Kikyo killed 0^_^) for leaving another cliffhanger.

            Well, three people responded to my question as to what Kikyo's soul-grabber things were called, and I know I said I'd do a request for the first one, but I've decided that I'll do all of your requests (if you have any ^_^). Thanks to Diablo, Amaya Shinkuyoake, and Inuyasha ((hee hee…it sounds funny to thank Inuyasha himself…)) for responding to my call for aid; and also, although I'm not exactly sure about this (it's hard to translate Japanese words into English without seeing the Kanji characters, because each Kanji has separate meanings; example: the verb 'kiru' can mean both 'to wear clothing' and 'to cut'; the only way to tell the difference would be to read the kanji ((you could read it in context, but it's easier merely reading the kanji)); but I think part of the Shinidamachuu is death and insect; I'll have to ask my Japanese teacher about that…

            Finally, to Sauratos: if you think me winking at you in good humor is bad, never hang around with my friends…they enjoy being perverts and messing around with people, heh heh heh….

            Quick vocab: Shi ne is actually one word (Shine), but I didn't want people reading it and thinking that I'd put something like "to shine" into my story; Shine is a command, except that it's pretty rude. It translates as, "DIE!" in Japanese.

            Omae: Harsh word for 'You' in Japanese; used with your enemies/people you don't like.

            I don't own Inuyasha, but I would be content with owning the Tetsuaiga…THEN I could own Inuyasha! ^_^

Chapter 13

            Kikyo's lips pressed into Inuyasha's, cold as ice; so thin, so bland, _'So passionless…'_ Inuyasha realized as he purposely kept his hands limp at his sides, Kikyo drawing away from him, a small smile on her face as she asked,

            "Well?"

            Inuyasha's eyes—eyes that could be as hard as stone, yet as soft as a newborn's touch—hardened once more as war began inside him; heart cried for him to accept Kikyo once more, giving no heed to Kagome; head cried for him to do away with her, to remember Kagome, to remember what Kikyo had done to him, and to remember what Kagome had done _for_ him…

            With a deep breath of resolution, Inuyasha began; voice as cold as the wind, yet hard as cut diamond even as he fought every word coming out.      

            "You don't love me, Kikyo," he whispered as her taste, ashes and dust, lingered upon his lips. "You've never loved me, and I've never loved you."

            The words came quickly, fluidly without interruption, but every fiber of Inuyasha's heart rebelled at these; crying at him that he was dooming his love for her, she still loved him; it yelled that he could still love her; it screamed that there was still a chance—but for once, Inuyasha's head saw things clearer than his heart.

            "W…what!?" Kikyo gasped, starting as though she had been visibly slapped.

            "You…I…we may have thought we loved each other, Kikyo; hell, we may have for a short time, but it wasn't to last. You were too cold, too bound by your years in training as a miko, to ever be fully open and innocent…you always kept things to yourself, hid from me, and never allowed me to see the real you," he breathed in a heated voice, growing more and more forceful as veils fell from lies spun as finely as spider-web; berating himself for never being able to see them before, Inuyasha continued. "You never really cared for me, did you? In all our time together, I've never seen you show one ounce of emotion, of _compassion_, towards anyone else: you voice it, but you never speak it."

            Kikyo stood, shock being replaced by realization; realization giving way to truth; truth giving way to blind fury as she spat back,

            "And you've found these in my reincarnation? Someone who, need I remind you, is nothing more than a part of me!?!?"

            "She's more than just a part of you, Kikyo," Inuyasha grated out, an aura of fury growing, nearly visibly, around him. "She's more innocent…more pure…more compassionate; she may be your reincarnation, but she's _NOTHING_ like you."

            "So you're forsaking me for her, is that it?" She growled out, eyes flashing over to where the sleeping girl lay; blissfully unaware, locked inside her dreams even as Inuyasha and Kikyo were now painfully aware of every emotion spearing them in their hearts. "I would have given you love; purity; HUMANITY!" She cried, silencing the creatures of the night as her own fury began to grow palpable.

            "Humanity? HUMANITY!? That's always what it was, wasn't it!?" He cried, voice gaining in power and force as fury seeped its way into his heart. "I wasn't good enough for you as a hanyou, was I? I was nothing more than a filthy half-blood whose evil demon half had to be exorcised; you never even gave a thought that maybe I wanted to become a full demon—hell, maybe I even liked the way I was before!"

            "You know full well that you don't like the way you are, Inuyasha: that's why you seek the Shikon no Tama now, ne?" She grinned icily.

            "Maybe I didn't, but guess what: Kagome doesn't care, she only wants me to be happy. She's risked her life for me before, put her own pure heart on the line to save me—nothing more than a filthy hanyou. Would _you_ ever do that, Kikyo?" He snapped, calm demeanor gone altogether from him.

            Kikyo stood there, clenching her bow in rage as her eyes sped back and forth between Inuyasha and Kagome; anger radiating from her like heat from a furnace as she struggled to find words for her inexpressible emotions; Inuyasha, meanwhile, turned and began walking back to the campsite, but before he was completely out of earshot, he whispered,

            "Good-bye, Kikyo; but know this: I won't raise a hand against you, even if you come after me: but if you try to hurt Kagome, if you injure her, even in the slightest, I swear that you will pay dearly," sounding almost exactly like Sesshoumaru as the short distance betwixt the two and the camp began to swallow up Inuyasha.

            For Kikyo, that was the final straw; had she been logical, she would have thought better of it and merely left, content with her life. A woman scorned, however, can have dire consequences, as she was soon to prove; for as Inuyasha turned and began waking back towards his camp, Kikyo let out a shriek that shook the heavens as she notched an arrow, bursting into a pinkish purple blaze of flames as she leveled it at Kagome.

            "SHI NE, KAGOME!" She cried, no tears falling from her eyes or heart as she let the arrow fly towards the girls sleeping form…

            …but a sharp ring of metal upon metal sounded through the clearing as the transformed Tetsuaiga, its transformation wavering for a second before springing back to its solid form, blocked the hate-fueled soul arrow from its intended target.

            _'Just as I saved Kikyo from Onigumo's partner…'_ Inuyasha realized; dwelling upon this for but a second, he whipped around to see Kikyo standing there, rage suffusing her every pore as she screamed out,

            "OMAE!!!!"

            "I warned you, Kikyo," he snarled in a calm voice that would have made any demon proud as the Tetsuaiga pulsed in his hand. "I warned you to not harm Kagome, and instead you try to kill her; I'm giving you a final chance, Kikyo. I'd strongly advise you to take it."

            "I. DON'T. CARE!!!" Kikyo roared, loosing another arrow, once more aimed at Kagome, but this was too much for Kikyo. Hatred—a blinding, unholy hatred that had long lain dormant—flared inside Inuyasha once more as Kikyo's rage prompted her to kill; condemning her to hell even as the pure arrow flew to slay the pure girl.

            Without a word, anger flaring in an almost visible aura around him, Inuyasha raised his sword with blinding speed; with the same speed, he brought it down, no more than a silver crescent slicing through the air with a hissing noise as it once more blocked the Soul Arrow.

            But he was not content merely with this; even as the Tetsuaiga's transformation waned, Inuyasha roared, "KAZE NO KIZU!!!!!!!". Bright yellow energy barked forth from the sword, roaring as it slammed into the ground; huge gashes sprang up in the earth as the energy slammed into Kikyo, rending her limb from limb; her cry of, "INUYASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" was masked by Inuyasha's sole, solemn words as he began walking back towards sanctity; warmth; and love.

            "May you at last find peace in Hell, Kikyo…," he whispered, feeling as if a burden had been lifted off his shoulders, only to be impressed upon his heart.

            His words, however, did not fall merely upon a deaf forest: Kagome was awake.

            Well, there it is; I was going to have Kikyo die regardless, and I was leaning heavily towards her dying in this chapter; your reviews cemented it, however. And speaking of reviews…WOW! Almost 20 reviews on one chapter; that's just amazing to me…thanks to all who reviewed! It really makes me feel good that people enjoy this story, and I try to give back to those people by updating every day; someday I'll have to break this daily updating streak (coughduringfinalscough), but hopefully this won't happen for a while: I enjoy writing, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

            Well, I've got to start doing my history homework (gah, poetry analysis…), so here's where I sign off till tomorrow. Jaa, mata ne!


	14. Inuyasha no Nemuri Kokoro Inuyasha's Wea...

            Well, here's the next part in my tale; I've seriously been encouraged by all the reviews I've gotten (I was happy just to have 4 or 5, but I think everyone whose written a fan-fiction before will agree that 77 good reviews beat 5…lol), and the topics have ranged from "good story, keep going!" to, "You're gonna die clown!" (a/n: that one was my best friend; he posted it and wanted to see if he'd get flamed for it, lol).

            Well, seeing as how I do this almost every time now, some responses to reviews that posed questions/ones I just think should be responded to ^_^.

            To Crew-Hanyou: I have posted the translations; I forget what chapter exactly I posted them in, but the translations for those words are somewhere; and here's the translations for the last batch of chapters:

            Inuyasha no shunkan kaisei (Inuyasha's Sudden Transformation); Yoru no Naka De Ai (Love in the Night); Kisu o Shite (Kiss Me); Kikyo no Kaeru Koto (Kikyo's Return); Mou Ichidou Kikyo o Shinu (Kikyo Dies Once More). Finally, yes: you did spell those right (the technically correct form of "Aishiteru" is "Ai shite iru", it's slang when it's "Aishiteru" but it's no big deal).

            To DracOnyx: Yes, I've read your story, Starlight and Shadows, and I must say that it is a _very_ well-written fiction; you deserve more recognition for it, as it's very well put together, descriptive, and it has an original and interesting storyline. Everybody should read it. NOW! ^_^

            To Evil Pixie Stick Spork Goddess: Yeah, we learned how to write Hiragana/Katakana in Japanese 1; Kanji's annoying at first, huh? I'm just now starting to get to where I can read compounds; how many Kanji characters do you know? I've learned about 150 so far, I should really work on them…haha. You also spelled Oyasuminasai correctly ^_^. 

            And, without further delay (except for the disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, blah blah blah, you all knew that), here's the chapter!

Chapter Fourteen

            Kagome was awake—had been awake since Kikyo had fired the arrow at Inuyasha—as Inuyasha stalked back into camp, forsaking his normal leap into a tree as he plopped down next to the fire, its light barely enough for Kagome to see his face: a hard-cut face, sculpted by prejudice; shaped by turmoil; perfected by a love he thought he had—but had never been his. His eyes reflected the brief glow of the fire, fighting as it struggled to stay alive—but was extinguished, being swallowed up by blackness.

She herself was feeling something of the sort, feeling the pain that Inuyasha was going through—he had just killed the woman he was in love with, his first love—but at the same time, could not bring herself to rise as she watched his cold eyes, illuminated now by star and moon. The woman who had plagued them for so long—given the jewel to Naraku, tried to take Inuyasha to Hell with her, and, even now, tried to kill Kagome—was gone.

            Forever.

            And he had killed Kikyo to do it; the Kikyo he was in love with, the Kikyo he wanted to spend the rest of his life with…and he had killed her because she had threatened Kagome. He had killed Kikyo because she tried to kill Kagome. But that meant he'd...no, he couldn't have…

            _'Yes, Kagome,' _her mind spoke softly to her. _'He's…'_

"Chosen me over Kikyo?" She whispered softly, forgetting Inuyasha's superhuman hearing as she clamped her hand over her mouth, but the damage had already been done: Inuyasha had heard her.

            She seemed to freeze inside as his head snapped towards her, cold eyes searching for her sleep-filled ones; failing to find them in the dark, he dropped his head, staring at the fire pit, as he whispered,

"You…you saw Kikyo and I?"

            Kagome struggled to do something; _anything_: her heart cried at her to help him, to comfort him, seeing how much pain he was in, but her body was not hers to command; even as her heart cried for her to do something to help.

            "Kagome?" he whispered, tentatively, as her restraint wavered…weakened…and finally snapped as the lump in her throat dissolved.

            "I…yes, I saw you two together, Inuyasha…I heard you, too," she laughed lightly; a mirthless laugh that sought weakly to cover the sadness in her voice.

            "What did you hear?"

            "I…I heard…," she started, but then stopped as she tried to force herself to say the words that she knew Inuyasha would be unable to repeat to her. "I heard you say…that…"

            "You heard me say how different you are than her…how you're not just a copy…you heard her final scream as I silenced her once more forever?" He offered the last darkly, eyelids hoods above his eyes as he continued to stare at the fire.

            "N," Kagome replied, seeming to have gone temporarily mute, her face flaring as red as Inuyasha's as he continued.

            "You heard me…saw me…kill her, then?" He asked the last with no trace of emotion; a cold, hollow voice that scared Kagome to the depths of her being.

            "Inuyasha…," she whispered, words failing her as she tried to find expressions of the inexpressible. "You didn't kill Kikyo—you killed what was left of Kikyo, nothing more than ashes and dust; bones and herbs. The woman you loved has been dead for 50 years, no magic or spell can ever bring her back. _DO YOU REALIZE THAT_!?" She exploded in a final burst of impassioned speech, eyes clouding up with mist.

            Inuyasha merely stared back at her as she continued with her rant.

            "If the real Kikyo truly loved you, don't you think she would want you to have peace in your life!? You've suffered all these long days since Kikyo was supposedly brought back, but you've been suffering needlessly, because it wasn't Kikyo that was returned, baka!" Tears were now flowing from Kagome's eyes as she screamed at an impassive Inuyasha who merely rose to his feet. "Move on: don't forget her, but move on! Ease your own pain, and maybe you can finally be…"

            "Happy?" He asked, standing above Kagome now, looking down into her misty storm blue eyes; pain suffused his form as he felt like his heart was being ripped into a thousand pieces with every teardrop that ran down her face; strength that could topple the mightiest of youkai was useless in the face of this pain.

            "Yes, so you can be happy; just so you can be happy for once in your life!" She screamed, sobbing freely as she saw him standing there, seemingly untouched by her impassioned screams; tears plummeted from her face to the grass, shining like jewels before shattering on the green life of the forest floor; she hadn't done anything to help, she'd poured her heart out and done nothing in the face of it, she'd screamed and ranted and…

            Her train of thought was cut off as gentle fingers traced a trail through her tears, drying them from her face as she looked up to see Inuyasha; without a further word, he wrapped her in a tight embrace, burying his head into her hair even as she nuzzled into the safe warmth of his body. Strength ebbed in a sudden tide from her even as new tears were born, splashing softly against Inuyasha's kimono as he held her close, breathing in her beautiful smell; fingers tangled in her hair as he held her close, silence pervading until he voiced one last question.

            "Kagome…why are you crying?" He asked gently, laying both he and her gently to the ground, holding her all the more tightly to protect her against the chill of the ground as she responded.

            "Because you're in pain," she cried into his chest, sleep slowly beginning to overtake her as she mumbled, "And there's nothing I can do to help you…"

            "Kagome…," Inuyasha started, stroking her hair gently as he tried to get her to stop crying. "I'm not in pain…not anymore, at least…"

            She tried to look up at Inuyasha's face, but he gently held her head as she asked,

            "But…Kikyo…"

            "Keh, Kikyo can go to hell," he smiled gently as he held her close. "I'm not in pain Kagome…not as long as I have someone like you," he whispered, holding her close even as she tried to respond; sleep robbing her of the chance as it overtook her.

            Well, here's the next chapter…sorry if Inuyasha's OOC, but I'm like dedicated to bringing accurate portrayals of the anime, so it kinda bothers me if they're not in character (or at least, they're not in character and there's no reason for it). I hope you enjoyed this newest chapter, and, as always: story requests, challenge fictions, fight scenes, romance scenes, requests for translation of stuff into/from Japanese, reviews, thoughts, feelings, anything's welcome, just as long as you review! ^_^ 

            One last thing: Diablo, Amaya Shinkuyoake, and Inuyasha, you're more than welcome to email/post your requests/anything I can do to repay you for telling me the names of the shinidamachuu (within reason, of course ^_^). Jaa! 


	15. Inuyasha no Okashii Mimi Inuyasha's Funn...

            Hmmmm…I seem to be getting more reviews per chapter the further the story goes…woohoo! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I'm only 9 reviews away from a hundred…like I said in the last chapter, I'm surprised the story has received this much attention, but what can I say…just thanks for reading ^_^.

            Well, here's some of my now-every-chapter review responses…enjoy!

            Sauratos: Yeah, it's nothing; sorry if I sounded too serious…I found it quite funny, because you sound _exactly_ like my friends when they're goofing around, hahaha.

            Diablo: Whether or not Kikyo loved Inuyasha is a matter of opinion; at least it will be until they get around to it in the series. Your evidence supports that he did love her, but I look at it this way: Kikyo says she loved him, yet she wanted to change him. If you love someone, you love them just the way they are and you shouldn't want to change them; the only way that this could be plausible to me is if Inuyasha volunteered to become human, but anybody whose watched the anime knows how unlikely that is. With this, I just see it as Kikyo asked him to become human, he reluctantly agreed, then Onigumo got in the way and blah blah blah…

            DracOnyx: Yeah, I was paranoid about my own writing for the longest time; I wrote when I was bored, but I never showed anybody my writing (an example of this would be creative writing in 7th grade), so yeah; I understand how you can be all paranoid about your writing, then just be like 'Whoa!' when a bunch of people start going "Dude, your story's awesome!".

            Well, enough with preambles and crap like that and disclaimers (::sigh:: do you really need me to say I don't own Inuyasha?), on with the story!

Chapter Fifteen

            Kagome lay, entangled in Inuyasha's grasp as she fought a futile battle to keep herself asleep…listening to his gentle breathing…inhaling his musky scent; a scent perfumed with the odor of wind, leaves, earth…listening to his snoring…

            _'Snoring???'_ Kagome thought groggily to herself before she propped herself up on an elbow and saw, what else, but a hanyou who's snores sounded like a rusty saw trying to grind through a gnarled old tree. She couldn't help but grin as he let out a particularly vicious snort and tried to scratch his ear with his foot.

            _'Sleep-scratching?' _Kagome giggled to himself as he tried to reach but just couldn't make it. _'Oh well…I may as well help him out…'_

            Reaching down to scratch the offending right ear, she stopped at the touch of the soft, silver fur on his ears; so different, yet so alike, from the usually-tangled silver mane that threatened to reach down beyond his butt. She smiled at the feel of his ears—just like a soft, plush teddy bear—and began scratching them. Realization struck her as it dawned upon her that this was the first time she had touched his ears since before she had unsealed him: he protected his ears with a passion; she'd once had to sit him several dozen times to stop him from killing Shippou when Shippou had yanked on them rather hard in a quarrel the two had been having. 

            It was quite understandable, then, that Kagome dissolved into a fit of hysterical giggles when Inuyasha smiled, began to give a low, rumbling growl from deep inside his chest, and then began motoring his leg in the air, like any dog will when it's belly is scratched. She tried to stop laughing, fearing that she'd wake up Inuyasha, but her giggles went far past what 'hysterical' could begin to describe as he began growling, more fiercely, as he tried reaching his ear once more, leg motoring helplessly in the air.

            With a final sleep-filled grunt, an irritated Inuyasha arose to scratch his ear; foot going at what looked like ninety miles an hour as he finally took care of the damn itch, head bobbing up and down as it bounced off his foot, which was little more than a blur of motion. Itch now taken care of, he turned towards Kagome (who, by now, had long ago dissolved into tears of laughter), blinked stupidly, and said,

            "Huh??? Oi, Kagome, what's so funny?" 

            Yeah, yeah; you're all going to hate me because it's so short, but I'm getting writer's block right now (it's lifting as I'm typing this, but I'm so sleepy and tired that you'll get a lot more out of me if you just wait for me to type it tomorrow…). If you really want a hint, it'll have something to do with Kouga…bum bum bum, dramatic reverb! Lol.

            As always, please read and review (not so sure I want people to do it this time; I get the feeling most of them are going to be from people wanting to murder me for giving such a short update…heh). 


	16. Senko Osuwari no Hi Day of a Thousand Si...

            MWA HAHAHAHAHA! I have finally reached 100 reviews! (Sorry, Sauratos, but you were two off from getting 100; I would, however, like to thank Ancient Zoidian for giving me my 100th review ^_^. ::Applause for Zoidian!::). I'm quite surprised I got this many (heh….I remember how excited and thrilled I was when I went to sleep after posting chapter two, and lo and behold—I had three reviews. That feeling, by the way, still has yet to diminish: I check back two or three times a day, and I read every review I get; aside from the fact that I just enjoy doing it, I figure if you guys take the time to write it, I should take the time to read it!)

            Well, I have only one review response; and that one's to Sauratos (hahaha…nobody posted questions/stuff I could respond to, except saying "thank you" to everyone who reviewed ^_^). I still believe that Inuyasha and Kikyo weren't in love; Kikyo could have granted Inuyasha's wish to become a full demon—this would have granted Inuyasha's desire to become a full demon, and it would have been made by Kikyo in the name of love and purity.

            Any other questions? (Looks around, sees nothing) All right then, on with the (no I don't own Inuyasha so stop reminding me) story!

Chapter Sixteen

            Kagome grumbled as Inuyasha halted their journey through the forest (yet _again_), paused, sniffed the air, and continued their march. At first it had been a minor annoyance, but after he had started doing it every five to ten minutes, refusing to leave her side while he sniffed for something. When she, as a matter of course, had asked what in the world he was doing, he merely muttered, "None of your business". 

            She sighed; her possessiveness of her had been tolerable before, but since he'd kissed her (a slight blush still tinted her cheeks rosy pink every time she thought of it), it had increased to near intolerable. In one aspect, it was good: it meant he wasn't likely to run off anyone else, and he was always around to protect her; in every other way, it was bad, however.

            She struggled to keep her temper in check as she heard the now-infuriating, _'Sniff…snuffle…sniffsniff…'_; she began losing the battle, however, as he began their march again, only to halt not fifty paces onward.

            _'Damnit, we just _had_ to find Kouga's new territory, didn't we?' _Inuyasha grumbled to himself as he checked the forest for the distinct, musky smell of Kouga. The smell had faded in and out for several hours; sometimes so far away that Inuyasha could barely smell him, sometimes so close that he wonder how Kouga could not smell him back. _'Now he's going to find me and Kagome; I'm gonna try to fight him; Kagome's going to sit me; and he'll get away yet _again, _and…'_

            "INUYASHA! OSUWARI!"

            _BAM!_

            Unfortunately for Inuyasha, Kagome's patience had worn out three halts ago; it was amazing that she'd been able to hold herself back for so long, but her anger at his over protectiveness, combined with her anger at his other prominent faults (stubbornness, not telling people what they need to know, desire to get his own way all the time, just to name a few), finally made her reach a breaking point.

            She strode over to where Inuyasha now lay, pinned to the ground by the rosary, and shouted, "Enough, baka! Now you're either going to tell me where we're going or I'm going to sit you till you're ten feet underground! Now _are you going to tell me where we're headed to!?_"

            Inuyasha sat up, pride wounded heavily and anger flaring; coupled together, it was these that led him to his fatal mistake.

            "Keh," he muttered, turning his head to the side.

            "Inuyasha…," Kagome said in a dangerous voice that was far scarier than many youkai that the two had encountered together; Inuyasha realized the enormity of his mistake too late.

            "_OSUWARIOSUWARIOSUWARIOSUWARIOSUWARIOSUWARIOSUWARIOSUWARIOSUWARI!!!!!!!!!!!_" Kagome screeched as the poor hanyou as flattened mercilessly against the ground, earth shaking underneath Kagome's feet as the rosary worked it's magic on Inuyasha.

            "Now will you tell me?" She asked, smiling sweetly.

            "Keh, why should I?" Ever clueless as to when he should give up his principles and just submit, Inuyasha growled back, face sunk deep into the soft earth. This, of course, was definitely the wrong answer.

            "_OSUWARI!_"

            _'Gods, how can someone who acts as sweet as she does be such a bitch???'_ Inuyasha griped to himself, wind knocked out of him. 

            "How 'bout now?"

            "How many times do I have to say, 'No!'!?" He snarled, and was rewarded by another, "_OSUWARI!_"

            "Now?"

            "Chikusho!" He muttered, face pushed deep into the ground. "Why the hell do you want to know so bad!?"

            "Because I want to know why you're acting like a complete jerk today!" She screamed back.

            "Keh."

            "O. Su. _WARI_!" 

            This was too much for Inuyasha to take, however: after the spell on the rosary beads released him, he ripped himself up off the ground and snarled at Kagome,

            "Fine, if you want to be mad at me for trying to protect you from that blasted Kouga, be that way!" This being said, he spun around; with a final glare back at Kagome, he leapt away, speeding through the forest even as a cheerful farewell was called by Kagome.

            "Osuwari!"

            A few hour's time found Inuyasha griping in a tree; reflexively cracking his knuckles as he tried to stoke the dying embers of anger in his heart, trying to convince himself he was still mad at Kagome. He recalled every argument they had had…every time she had sat him unfairly…every time she had been a jerk to him for no reason…yet nothing happened.

            _'Damnit, why in the seven hells can't I stay  mad at her!?!?' _Inuyasha growled to himself, paying more attention to his attempts to stay mad at Kagome than the warning bells going off in his head as the scent he had been searching for began to grow nearer. _'Why is she the only one that makes me feel like I should just do what she says, just so I can keep her near me?'_ The jangling bells in his head grew louder and louder as his olfactory senses rang upon the deaf ears of his brain. _'And why, why, _WHY_ has she made me feel like this; so soft, so vulnerable? Even Kikyo never made me feel like that…could it possibly be…'_

            He never got a chance to finish his thought; the bells that had been jangling in his head exploded into sirens as Kouga burst into the clearing. Taken completely off his guard, Inuyasha could only watch dumbly as Kouga's foot collided solidly with the side of his face; he could only feel the pain coursing through his head, the blood flowing from his mouth; he could only hear Kouga's triumphant cry of, 

            "Inukoro! Thought you could just hit and run, didn't you?"

            A little over a mile away, Kagome heard Inuyasha's cry of, "**_TEME_**!!!!"

            _'Oh, Gods, Kouga's found him…'_

            The return of the evil cliffhanger…bwa hahaha! At least you don't have to wait that long for me to update ^_^. I know that it's short, but if you guys want them to be longer, I'll only be able to update once every two days…heh; just let me know if you want it short and once per day or longer and once per every two days (possibly once per day if I'm able to). Oh, btw: if you guys want to hear a song that characterizes Inuyasha perfectly, listen to 'Headstrong' by Trapt: I'm extremely surprised no one has made an Inuyasha music video out of it yet…

Oh well, that's all for tonight…sleep I need, for tomorrow stuff I am going to do. Jaa!


	17. Kouga wa Shikon no Tama o Motte Imasu! K...

            Well, here goes my attempt at making my chapters longer; I kind of enjoy being on a self-imposed deadline, because it forces ideas out of you and makes you more committed…that, plus the fact that I have a bunch of people wanting to read the next part of the story, helps too ^_^.

            Quick translation of stuff from Japanese:

            Teme: In case you've forgotten, Teme corresponds to a harsh word for you/bastard; in other words, a useful word to know ^_^.

            Koinu: This one's kind of funny; the kanji for it mean child (ko) and dog (inu), so it literally means child dog, i.e puppy.

            Kutabare: I believe this can also be shortened to "kurare", but I'm not sure about that; basically means "go to hell", or "eat this", or "take this"; etc. Inuyasha screams it whenever he uses the _Kaze no Kizu_ and he's really pissed off.  

            And now, for more of your favorites, review responses!

            Inuyasha—well yeah, they kissed; just because they kissed, however, isn't any reason for Inuyasha to say he loves her (I've already planned for when they're going to say it; you'll just have to wait and find out…lol); like I said, I try to keep him in character: I don't think they'd get all "I'll love you until the end of time" and immediately touchy-feely after their first kiss. I will, however, make sure that I check out your story (I don't know much about Ranma ½ but I'm sure I'll still enjoy it ^_^)

            BurningBritelyOne—lol, I _love_ episode 90…I just find it hilarious that Inuyasha's trying to teach Sota the Sankon Tessou.

            Whoobonhooaglo—yeah, I'm from California too, except that I rarely go to bed past 2 AM (except during the summer, when my sleep schedule just goes completely haywire).

            To everybody who says "update soon!"—I enjoy hearing it, but come on: you all know I update once per day! ^_^

Well, I tried to get a jump on this and started earlier in the day (it was about 11:30 AM right when I started, I've had this done since about noon/half past noon; most of the time I start writing at about 10 or 10:30 PM, when I finish my homework…heh). So, without further ado, on with the story!

Chapter Seventeen

            A little over a mile away, Kagome heard Inuyasha's cry of, "**_TEME_**!!!!"

            _'Oh, Gods, Kouga's found him…'_

            Not bothering to pause for another moment, Kagome took off in the direction of Inuyasha's unbelievably loud cry, desperately hoping she could make it there in time before Inuyasha decided it would be a good idea to use the Kaze no Kizu to defend his possession of her.

            _'I just had to leave my bike back in modern times, didn't I???'_ Kagome berated herself as she ran as fast as her enormous yellow backpack would allow her.

            The Tetsuaiga sang a hissing song as it sliced through the air, missing Kouga by bare centimeters; another silver arc slashing down not a second after the first clipped Kouga's hair, but did no serious harm—it had taken Inuyasha mere moments to discover that he could not strike Kouga with the Tetsuaiga, but it would be many more moments before his stubbornness allowed him to sheathe the sword and slash Kouga to bits with his claws.

            "What's the matter, Koinu? Too fast for you?" Kouga taunted, avoiding a third lightning-quick strike from the Tetsuaiga by a slim margin as Inuyasha's fury began to increase at an astounding rate; adrenaline surged through his bloodstream, a roar resounded through his doglike ears as any inhibition snapped.

            He raised the sword; youki flowing freely from both he and Kouga, but he didn't need that anymore. Wind wrapped around the sword, forming a swirling cocoon of swirling gales as he raised the sword. It glittered in the noon's sun as he brought the sword down in a fatal strike.

            "_KUTABARE!!!_"

            Bolts of yellow energy lanced out from the Tetsuaiga as the cocoon shattered into a storm of winds, swirling towards the lightning-quick Kouga as the energy carved huge, deep slashes into the ground.

            No more than half a mile away by now, Kagome heard Inuyasha's newest outburst, along with the explosion of energy as a decent portion of Kouga's territory.

            "Chikusho…too late…," she sighed, breath coming in short, panting gasps now as she pushed herself to keep running. "Gotta…hope…he didn't…kill Kouga…"

            Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on whom you're rooting for in this battle), Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu had not had the desired effect: it had destroyed several dozen nearby trees, reducing them to firewood that Kouga's pack would appreciate, but it had only hit Kouga with a glancing blow.

            Still, a glancing blow is better than none. Kouga had been in the midst of a leap when he was hit by the Kaze no Kizu, and the result was that he had been hurled about fifty feet away from their battleground, and was now bleeding from the slash-marks on his chest and left arm.

            _'That damn Inukoro…'_ He growled, surveying his injuries as he vaulted upright, preparing to rush back to the battlefield. The Shikon shards pulsed with rage inside his body; they glowed through even the sheathes of his skin as rage surmounted, and he leapt forward.

            Unfortunately for Kouga, Inuyasha had had the same plan: meeting in midair, Kouga blinded by rage, Inuyasha not much better off, Inuyasha had the upper hand. He had sensed Kouga leaping, and had timed his own jump with startling accuracy…with a slight shift in midair…

            "Wimpy wolf!" He snarled, swinging the flat edge of the Tetsuaiga towards Kouga's midsection like a baseball bat, even as he swung his left fist up in a staggering uppercut. Both blows connected: with a _'BONNNNNNNNNG!'_ as the Tetsuaiga connected with Kouga's ribcage, backed up by a satisfying _'GRNNNNCH!'_ as Inuyasha's fist collided solidly with Kouga's chin, Inuyasha's adversary once more found himself flat on his back in the clearing.

            Involuntarily sniffing the air, Inuyasha detected Kagome's scent, less than a minute away at the pace she was going, and thought, _'Shimatta! I'd better finish this up before she comes here and decides to sit me for beating up on this wimpy wolf…'_

            Wrenching Kouga off the ground, Inuyasha wrapped him in a none-too-gentle headlock as he began landing blow after blow upon Kouga's face with his none-too-gentle fist; enjoying the feel and sound of each meaty '_smack!_' even as Kouga struggled against Inuyasha's vice-like grip. 

            Or at least he enjoyed it until he heard an all-too-familiar voice ring out with an all-too-familiar prelude to an all-too-familiar word.

            "Inuyasha!"

            Said Inuyasha looked up, not bothering to pause as he continued punching an extremely angry wolf demon, and growled,

            "Wench, if you sit me this time, I swear I'm going to…"

            "_OSUWARI!_"

            Although Inuyasha detested sits as a general principle, he had to take a grim satisfaction in this one: Kouga was sat along with him, his already battered face slamming into the ground along with Inuyasha's as he refused to give up his hold.

            _'Still…'_ he admitted to himself. _'Never a good thing to be sat…'_

            "Inuyasha, just what did you think you were doing, beating up on Kouga like that!?" She reprimanded him, standing over him and glaring down at him even as Kouga freed himself from Inuyasha's pinned arm.

            "Don't blame me!" Inuyasha yelled, ripping his face free from the ground and shoving it into Kagome's. "That damn wolf kicked me off a tree first; he's the one that started it!!!"

            "So that meant you had to put him into a headlock and attempt to beat him senseless?"

            "Keh, it was in self-defense."

            "_THAT_ was self defense!?" Kagome yelled incredulously. "Self-defense would be you using the Kaze no Kizu to drive him off! Not that you had any qualms about doing that…," she muttered darkly, looking behind her at the wake of felled and blackened trees.

            "I don't have time to argue with you, Kagome!" He sputtered out, face going slightly red as he knew there was no way he was going to win this argument. "I've got to take care of…" he trailed off, looking around him for the wounded wolf demon, yet seeing no trace of him. "…Kouga???"

            Kagome smiled at him; a wide-eyed, innocent smile as she said sweetly, "He must have gotten away while we were arguing, Inuyasha."

            Inuyasha nearly exploded at this, and immediately snapped around and took off, following the trail of Kouga's scent. He stopped, however, before he had left the clearing and growled,

            "Kagome, don't you _dare_ sit me this time. I'm gonna go make sure that he doesn't ever try to claim you as _his_ again, not kill him. You sit me, and I swear that the next time I see him I'll unleash Bakuryuuha on him," he growled in a surprisingly calm voice, not even bothering to turn to face her as he clenched his hand around the Tetsuaiga. "Am I understood?"

            Kagome, completely taken aback at both the calmness permeating his voice and the fact that he wasn't going to kill Kouga, nodded her head and voiced her stunned amazement as, "Un…", before Inuyasha leapt away through the forest, following the strong trail of Kouga's blood drops spattered throughout the forest.

            Through his travels in search of Naraku, Kouga had come across new allies; enough new allies to the extent that he now had a pack of wolf demons once more at his command. It wrenched his heart slightly whenever he looked at them, remembering how Naraku had slaughtered them in cold blood; then insulted him as he reanimated them, making them dance like puppets as familiar faces came to slaughter their once-longtime friend.

            Now was not the time to dwell upon events long past, however; Kouga, healing already taking place so fast that you could see the cuts and bruises disappearing before your eyes, was assembling his pack; giving them orders so that they could accomplish one of his three longtime goals: capture Kagome (the other two, of course, being to kill Naraku and to take Inuyasha out of his life). Plans had long ago been made; all that remained now was to implement them.

            Kouga berated himself mentally for jeopardizing their strategy: it had called for Inuyasha to be unaware of his presence…petty anger had risen up, transformed into fury, and taken over as he remembered their last meeting; he remembered the pain and humiliation he'd endured from Inuyasha smashing him over the head with the flat edge of his Tetsuaiga; an insult that had been compounded again today when he had the same edge slammed into him.

            Kouga smiled, however: soon, all of that would be taken care of. Wolves were good strategists…_'Better than any dog demon,'_ he laughed inside his mind. With a single word, he sent his pack out to carry their raid; he, however, stayed behind as he waited for Inuyasha to come. His grin grew all the broader as he stepped lightly over to a secluded corner of the cave and put his hand into a barely visible crack.

            Light shone from his hand as he clasped it to his chest; his grin taking upon an eerie glow as he held the Shikon jewel in his hand, and without a second thought, he thrust it into his mouth and swallowed.

            Well, guess I can still keep the update schedule going on with once-per-day as planned…I've got ideas planned for the next couple of chapters, so you guys don't have to worry about that. 

            Heheheh…it's longer, so I hope you're all happy! And before you ask, no I'm not insane: I have a very good reason for why Kouga has a Shikon no Tama…you'll just have to tune in next chapter (and preferably review ^_^). Well, that's all for now…jaa!  
  


            Bwa ha ha, thought I'd forget the disclaimer, did you? For shame…you should know better than that; just like you should know that I don't own Inuyasha, and you don't either! (Dissolves into hysterical, maniacal laughter)


	18. Mou Ichidou, Hanyou wa Youkai ni Natte I...

Sorry about not updating Sunday night; I had the chapter ready to go at like noon on Sunday (I don't post till late at night though; you guys get to read it in the morning, and it stays on the front pages longer; getting more reviews ^_^), but fanfiction.net seriously screwed me over: it wouldn't let me upload the story, so all I can say is gomen ne! 

            Well, I've accrued over a dozen new reviews; so I'll just respond to some of them now ^_^.

            Liyah: I'm probably going to incorporate that into my story; I'd probably take a leaf out of DracOnyx's book, however, and post it as a separate story.

            Sailor Saturn (wow, lots of anime characters are responding, huh? ^_^): No, I haven't bashed Hojo yet, and I'm probably not going to; I don't really think I'm going to have them go through the well into Kagome's time…don't count it out, but it's just not likely.

            BurningBritelyOne: Just read this chapter; you'll see how he got a Jewel (it was actually in an episode of Inuyasha, that's how I got the idea).

            Inuyasha: Same as above, except no problem with the borrowing of the disclaimer: it _would_ be supercool to have ears like him (I think having ears like an elf would be cool, too…my left ear's almost like an elf's, which I think is cool haha).

            Quick Japanese grammar: 

            _Nakude kudasai_: Please, no…(ie Please, no…not again)

            _Mou nakude kudasai_: Please, not again

            I don't own Inuyasha, but I do own the Kaze no Kizu! ::lawyer whispers in his ear:: We lost the case on that!?!? CRAP!

Chapter Eighteen

            Kagome and Inuyasha sat together, less than an hour after meeting with Kouga; Inuyasha had refused to acknowledge her, blaming her for Kouga escaping, and despite his resistance, Kagome was tending the side of his face that Kouga had wounded. He had protested that it would do no good, and by the time she got done he would have already healed.

            Kagome had refused to allow him to merely heal himself, and it was with a softened expression Inuyasha had allowed her to treat him in a redundant effort: by the time she had finished cleaning up the blood seeping from his mouth, the three teeth Kouga had knocked out had grown back; by the time she had been able to apply ice to his swelling, it had dissipated.

            Kagome groaned and pouted for a second, knowing that Inuyasha had been right, and prepared herself for a bout of, 'I told you so's from Inuyasha. She could virtually count down the seconds…

            _'Three…two…one…'_

"Oi, Kagome."

            _'Right on time. Well at least I…'_

            "Thanks anyway," he said, turning his head away with a blush tainting his cheeks.

            _'…tried?'_

"What, no laughs? No I-told-you-so? No wench?" She asked in disbelief, wondering what in the world could have happened to Inuyasha. 

            Inuyasha sighed, thought up a retort, thought better of it, then just smiled devilishly as he grabbed Kagome's hand and gently forced her into a sitting position, falling on top of his lap as his arms wrapped around her middle. Forced into a sudden (and compromising) position, Kagome blushed furiously as she struggled to release herself from the hanyou's grip; a few moments later, however, she had to admit that her position—while compromising—wasn't at all uncomfortable…

            "This is my way of saying thanks," Inuyasha mumbled in a low growl, as he rested his head gently on top of hers, inhaling her scent, as fine as perfume to him; Kagome just smiled, a pink blush still upon her cheeks, and leaned back, snuggling into him, golden sunshine playing around the two as they bathed in the lush green life of the forest.

            _'Maybe Fate's decided to grant me a shot at this before some damn demon or monster comes along and ruins it,' _Inuyasha thought to himself, feeling himself slipping into bliss as he held Kagome tight, feeling her warmth and love spread into him.

            Unfortunately for Inuyasha, Fate had decided that today would not be his day either: unbeknownst to him, nose filled with Kagome's wonderful scent, Kouga's wolf pack was drawing closer with plans memorized, positions scouted, and steps taken to ensure the success of this mission. Kouga himself, after swallowing a Shikon no Tama, was following after; speed increased to blinding levels by the power encased within.

            Even as Inuyasha and Kagome settled in, hoping to stay here as long as possible, never leaving this place, the first five members of Kouga's pack stationed themselves around Kagome and Inuyasha's clearing. There they stayed, awaiting Kouga's signal…and with a short, deafening howl, the attack started.

            The five members that had arrived leaped forward; two ripped Kagome from Inuyasha's grasp, the other three tried to disarm him of the Tetsuaiga. 

Kouga's plan, however, found its first flaw as the Tetsuaiga's barrier repelled them, scalding their hands with blistering electricity as they stood for a loss of what they should do: unable to decide, they attacked Inuyasha, stunned for the moment over what had just happened. 

He was not stunned for much longer, however: as the smell of Kagome faded, replaced by the reek of the wolf pack, he realized what was going on, and he was not in the _least_ pleased by it. The Tetsuaiga flashed from its sheath, a very angry hanyou holding it as he refused to let himself be taken down by a bunch of wimpy wolves that smelled like Kouga.

            Even as this realization dawned on him, however, a second one took hold: these were Kouga's friends, possibly his family, and Kagome wouldn't like it if he killed them; aside from that fact, he had already made a promise to Kagome to refrain from killing Kouga, and he supposed that included Kouga's pack members (along with his Sankon Tessou); so it was with a dejected sigh and withering glare that Inuyasha sheathed the Tetsuaiga, cracked his knuckles, and decided to wade into the fray.

            Fist met jaw in a solid blow as he swept his hand up in an uppercut, teeth ground together as the uppercut finished its path and Inuyasha swept his leg behind him in a roundhouse. It had been years since he had fought like this, hand-to-hand, without using his demon powers, but he could feel it all coming back to him as another drove of the wolf demons arrived.

            Kouga smirked as he watched Inuyasha tire himself out fighting off half of his pack, his plan clicking into place even as he watched: the first two members had taken Kagome far enough away to where Inuyasha couldn't get at her; twelve or so members of his pack were now tiring Inuyasha out enough to where Kouga could easily dispose of him; and if that wasn't enough, the Shikon no Tama he had found—not _the_ Shikon Jewel, but a clever facsimile; crafted by a demon that had been terrorizing a village, collecting enough souls to create it, it lacked the power of the true Shikon, it made up for it by more than doubling his speed, strength, and power—would ensure him victory.

            If only he could separate Inuyasha from the Tetsuaiga, he would be nearly helpless before him…and it was only a matter of time before his temper wore out and he drew Tetsuaiga, allowing Kouga to rip it from his grasp and be rid of it.

            That time was fast approaching—Inuyasha's patience was wearing thin; fueling his growing anger as the wolves kept coming, annoying him to no end and keeping him from reaching Kagome—not to mention the fact they'd broken up he and Kagome's private time by deciding to wage all-out war on him.

            Kouga grinned as Inuyasha grew nearer and nearer the breaking point…he could see rage festering inside his amber eyes, illuminated by the fire that was slowly building up inside of them. And then, in a burst of piquant rage and liquid hate, Tetsuaiga flashed out of its sheathe once more, more a threat than anything else—he wouldn't let his promise be broken that easily—but it was enough.

            In a burst of speed, Kouga leapt down from the tree, covered the hundred yards to the battlefield in less than a second, and kicked straight up: Tetsuaiga flew out of Inuyasha's hand, spinning through the air only to slash three feet deep into the ground next to where Kagome was held by the same two guards that had taken her from Inuyasha.

            "Yo," Kouga called out to the ten or so wolf demons that had surrounded Inuyasha. "Back off; Inukoro is mine, understand?"

            The wolves nodded their heads in agreement, silently backing off and leaving a tired, angry, and panting heavily Inuyasha before Kouga, hate still blistering in his eyes as he cracked his knuckles in anger, struggling to keep himself bound to the promise he had made Kagome…he wouldn't; no, _couldn't_ kill Kouga…

            "Well, Inukoro; let's see just how powerful you are without your precious sword."

            In a blaze of speed, Kouga sped through the distance separating he and Inuyasha; right fist hurled forward at a speed that even Inuyasha could barely see, let alone do anything about as it smacked into the side of his face. Not content with this first punch, a knee to Inuyasha's gut followed, a shin-kick to the side of Inuyasha's head, spinning him in the air and hurling him to the ground.

            "Kouga, stop! You'll kill him!" Kagome screamed from the side of the clearing, struggling against the two guards as she tried to get at, to help Inuyasha in some way, any way she could.

            Kouga just smiled, bitter rage mixing with the sweet revenge he was now exacting upon the beaten, but not broken, hanyou—he was rising to his feet, even as Kouga was rushing forward to strike him down once more—a flurry of blows came, as thick as raindrops in a thunderstorm as the false Shikon no Tama lent its jaki-infused strength to Kouga's aid.

            Thuds resounded from Inuyasha's ribcage, followed by a gruesome snap as one punch found its mark and cracked a rib—another soon followed, and, with an uppercut that would have felled Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha was hurled once more to the ground, bleeding both inside and out as pain welled in a black tide from the very depths of his being.

            Kouga grinned widely: revenge exacted upon one of his enemies, 'his' woman claimed, he rushed over to Kagome and embrace her in a warm hug; knocking both guards to the side as he wrapped a crying Kagome in his arms.

            "Shhh, shhh sweet Kagome…don't worry, I took care of that weakling; he'll never bother you again…you're with me now!" He spoke softly, holding her too tightly in his grasp as he attempted to stop her tears.

            "_That's not why I'm crying, BAKA!_" She screamed. "_YOU KILLED INUYASHA! YOU KILLED HIM!_"

            "So?" Kouga asked, smiling encouragingly at Kagome once more. "We have each other now, and you don't have to be stuck with that foul-smelling Inukoro!"

            "You don't understand, do you!? I'm not your woman, I'm…I'm…," she started, rage dying…and being replaced by cold, depthless fear as she stared behind her towards where Inuyasha's body had lain.

            _Had_ lain, because he was not dead—far from it, in fact. Red eyes glowed out from the darkness, stained the same color as the blood that they had seen spilt, spilt from the countless slaughters of the bandits and villagers; angry red marks snaked themselves up the side of his face, claw-slashes that matched the pain that his soul was going through now, trying to fight this monstrosity welling up inside of him.

            "Oh Gods, no…," Kagome whispered, tears falling from her cheeks as she looked at Inuyasha lost; trapped again in the clutches of his demon half as pain and rage shone in equal measure from his angry red eyes. "No…nakude kudasai, Inuyasha…mou nakude kudasai…"

            Bwa ha ha, everyday updating schedule is BACK ON TRACK! I almost didn't do this today…my best friend gave me a late birthday present today (he had to send away for it, though; that's why it was so late), and I've spent most of the day playing with my brand-new, 37" long Katana (affectionately nicknamed Tetsuaiga ^_^). But, in any case, here it is: sorry for the delay!

            As always, please read and REVIEW; I really like reading new REVIEWs, they just give me a tingly feeling inside ^_^. 


	19. Kagome ni Wasureta, Inuyasha? Have you ...

Well, the conclusion to the long-awaited fight between Inuyasha and Kouga…as most of you can probably tell by now, I don't really like Kouga: well, that's not accurate either…he's not my favorite character, I just really want to see him stay and get the crap kicked out of him by the puppy (aka Inuyasha)…stupid Kouga…::growls::

            And I just have to say this about the last chapter: whoa…14 reviews for one chapter? I'm impressed, heh…I'm guessing you guys really liked this last chapter.

            Now for some hard-earned review responses!

            Diablo: Yes, Hanyou no Kon does mean Half-demon's Soul; I was going more for "Soul of a Half Demon" though: either way's correct ^,^

            Codename: Anrui Yuy: Just read this chapter; I'll try to put something in, but I kinda wrote myself into a corner: Inuyasha's about to fight Kouga, Kagome doesn't want to sit Inuyasha for fear he'll get hurt by Kouga, so nothing much I can do…gomen…

            Blue-Saiyan-Angel: I don't mean to have so many cliffhangers, but the last one wasn't a cliffhanger: you can all surmise what's gonna happen; another thing is that I typically type these from 10 PM on; whenever I see a good place to stop, I stop because I'm normally doing homework at the same time, and in a lot of cases I go over it again, correct things I missed, and try to lengthen it so you'll all have more to read, and cliffhangers give me more to write on the next chapter, reducing the chance of writer's block.

            BurningBritelyOne: No, that's not where I got the idea from…I actually forgot about that episode. I had an idea for a false Shikon Jewel before I watched the episode where you see all the false Shikon no Tama that have been made by demons (episode 90 something, I forget which one).

            ::Pants for breath:: Okay, that's everything! Wait a second…feels like I'm forgetting the disclaimer (not to mention the story!)

            Kono hanashi wa Kaminari no tenkyo de okureshimashita! (This story is brought to you by Kaminari!)

Chapter Nineteen

            _Had lain, because he was not dead—far from it, in fact. Red eyes glowed out from the darkness, stained the same color as the blood that they had seen spilt, spilt from the countless slaughters of the bandits and villagers; angry red marks snaked themselves up the side of his face, claw-slashes that matched the pain that his soul was going through now, trying to fight this monstrosity welling up inside of him._

            "Oh Gods, no…," Kagome whispered, tears falling from her cheeks as she looked at Inuyasha lost; trapped again in the clutches of his demon half as pain and rage shone in equal measure from his angry red eyes. "No…nakude kudasai, Inuyasha…mou nakude kudasai…"

            Claws burst forth with cracking _snap_s as they lengthened; youki flowed in a smothering tide from his body; rage swelled and burst through the dam inside of him as he saw Kouga hugging Kagome; passion usurped instinct and thought, swallowing them whole as it blazed like a sudden fire inside his heart—yet his mind was still his own. Filled with bloodlust, hate, malice, and loathing, true; but his thoughts and actions were his own, tuned towards a specific action, one that now rang with a cold tone as it hammered inside his brain.

            _'Get Kouga…kill Kouga…get Kouga…'_

"Baaaka," Kouga laughed as he smelt the demon blood overtaking Inuyasha's body. "You still think you can fight me, as slow as you are? Even with that demon blood, there's no way that you'll beat me; and there's no way I'll ever let you take Kagome from me!"

            Inuyasha's already-tentative grasp on his demon blood slipped at that threat; with a cry of terror for Kagome, he rushed forward—far faster than he had been before—and slashed down, claws catching nothing but air as Kouga leapt nimbly out of the way of Inuyasha's attack, taking Kagome with him.     

            He laughed and said, "Told you so, Inukoro. Now…," he grinned, setting Kagome down on a low tree branch as he turned to face his adversary.

            "Kagome…o…FUREAWANAI YO!!!!!!" he screamed, demon blood almost completely taken over; Kouga merely smiled, light shining from his chest as the Shikon no Tama glowed all the more brightly…then launched himself at his opponent, taunting him with a cry of, "Inukoro!" as he flew forward.

            But Kouga was no longer dealing with a somewhat-merciful hanyou: he was dealing with the power; the strength; the speed of a nigh-completely berserk youkai; scent being overridden by surging adrenaline, so in his mind this was nothing more than an Inuyasha pushed over the edge. He was underestimating his adversary's new powers, assuming—both through experience and arrogance—that he was still faster.

            Assumptions can be fatal.

            A snarl like a wild animal tore loose from Inuyasha's throat as Kouga's movements seemed to slow down as he leapt through the air; in a flash of speed, claws splayed, Inuyasha rushed forward. Blood sprayed the air, coating Inuyasha's fingers and claws in it as they rent four deep tracks through Kouga's side, piercing his armor and lavishing blood upon his pale skin.

            Kouga gasped at the shock and sudden pain as he clutched his side, thinking, _'What…there's no way! He couldn't even keep up with me before, and now _this_!? Wait a second…that smell…it can't be…,' _Kouga's eyes bloomed wide in surprise as Inuyasha's reek finally hit his nose, mixed with the blood spilling from his wounds. _'A _YOUKAI'S _scent?!?!'_

"So you finally figured it out, eh?" Inuyasha laughed, a humorless laugh as he licked the tips of his claws slowly, savoring the coppery, salty taste of blood as he stalked closer to Kouga; a disfiguring smile lit up his face as the final claw-tip was cleansed of Kouga's blood, only to leave behind a warm, coppery aftertaste in his mouth.

            "Kouga, run away!" Kagome screamed from up in the tree, fear suffusing her eyes as she fully understood the mortal peril Kouga had embroiled himself in. "Run while there's still time!"

            "NANI!?!?!" Kouga screeched, temper and pride coming back online as he whirled around to look at Kagome in disbelief. "You think that this worthless piece of dog crap can beat me!?"

            A series of snaps broke the dialogue between Kagome and Kouga as Inuyasha's knuckles went off like a series of gunshots just before he splayed his claws once more, readying them for use on the wolf who had dared taunt him so long. Unfortunately for him, Kouga was a little more prepared this time: catching Inuyasha slightly off guard, Kouga grabbed his wrist and slammed the wrathful demon into the ground as effectively as if he'd been sat.

            A quick kick connected with Inuyasha's stomach, and blood mixed with spittle spurted out as he forcefully exhaled; the move was not duplicated, however: Inuyasha's clawed hand swung in two quick slashes, and blood flowed freely from Kouga's calves as his legs were swept out from under him.

            A gasp escaped from his lips as Inuyasha (still embedded in the crater that had been created by Kouga body-slamming him) grabbed his blood-slicked ankles, grinned maliciously for a second, and hurled Kouga to the ground with all the might of his upper body.

            Vaulting upright out of the hole, Inuyasha treated Kouga and his chest to his knees as he plummeted from ten feet up in the air, satisfied with the grinding crunches that spurted from his chest as Kouga coughed, bringing up blood that splattered both his chest and Inuyasha's face with flecks of dark blood as the air rushed out of his lungs in a _whoooooosh_.

            Kagome watched, eyes blooming wide in fear as Inuyasha's rage, fueled by his demon side, took over: punch after punch landed, blood flew in spurts as Kouga's face swelled up like a balloon, covered in bruises. Kagome tried to look away, but was bound by horrid fascination as she watched Inuyasha—_her_ Inuyasha—transformed into something evil; something inhuman.

            _'The Tetsuaiga…'_ her mind said, barely audible to her bound mind. _'Get Inuyasha the Tetsuaiga…'_

            With a tremendous effort of will, she ripped her eyes from the fight and saw the Tetsuaiga, pulsing in the afternoon sun as if it was trying to be called back by Inuyasha; wolf demons knocked unconscious from Kouga's sudden rush to get to Kagome, she had a clear path to the sword. Leaping down from the tree, a fifteen foot drop, Kagome hit and rolled, bouncing up as soon as she was able; rushing towards the Tetsuaiga, she kept her tear-filled eyes clamped shut as she tried to shut out the horrendous noise of blows landing on Kouga's face.

            _'If I sit him, I'll crush Kouga; the Tetsuaiga's his only hope!'_ Kagome cried to herself as she grabbed the old katana, veering to change direction as she rushed to the fight; halfway there, she stopped and yelled, "Inuyasha!" as she threw the Tetsuaiga to him, fully expecting whatever shred of him remained in the red mist that stagnated his mind to catch the sword: instead, a sound of metal against metal rang as Inuyasha knocked the sword away from him.

            "Inuyasha, what are you doing!? Grab the sword! Take up Tetsuaiga again!" Kagome screamed, watching as Inuyasha's inhuman countenance whirled towards her, red eyes flaring in anger as he shouted,

            "BAKA! I'm going to kill him with my bare claws; I don't need that weak sword to finish off this undeserving demon!"

            Kagome flinched and stepped back as if she'd been physically hit: he'd never, _ever_ called her 'baka' before; at least not to wound her…he'd called her it a hundred times before, but never like this. New tears fell from Kagome's eyes, barely seeing anything as a powerful backhand slammed Kouga's near-unconscious form into a nearby tree, followed by a stab with Inuyasha's right hand as his claws sunk into the tree, hand grasping Kouga's neck as he gasped for breath.

            "So, it all comes down to this, ne? I would have been content to let you go, under the provision you never bother I or Kagome again, but you _SPAT IN MY FACE!_" He roared, grip growing tighter around Kouga's neck while he splayed his claws out, tips resting against his stomach as rage suffused his every being. "Enjoy whatever stay in hell you've earned, baka…"

            Inuyasha prepared to tear his claws up, following the path of an uppercut that would have eviscerated Kouga, leaving him to trouble he and Kagome no more…but something held him back. Something wet…warm…dripped onto the exposed flesh of the forearm that had been ready to kill Kouga.

            "No, Inuyasha," Kagome whispered, clutching his arm as teardrops stained his yukata a darker red. "It's not his place here; it's not his time yet; please…don't…"

            His submerged mind gained a firmer foothold as he recognized the human…her name danced playfully around his mind, staying just out of reach, right on the tip of his tongue…his rage welled up in a tide again as her name evaded him and he roared,

            "Who do you think you are!? This is my battle, my fight, my kill, and I won't have a human tell me how or when to make my kill!"

            Kanashinomizu fell in a torrent down Kagome's cheeks as she clasped his arm closer, eyes hardening as she whispered to him,

            "Did you forget the promise you made to me, Inuyasha? Did you forget the promise you made to Kagome?" 

            The fog began to dissipate in Inuyasha's mind, demon blood fighting with all its pent-up passion to stay in control…

            "Ne, Inuyasha!? Do you remember the promise you made to me!!?!? Can you remember the promise you made to…"

            "Ka…gome…," Inuyasha breathed, red eyes fading as his own mind took over again; adrenaline fled from his body as he allowed Kouga, still barely conscious, to fall to the ground. Inuyasha wrapped Kagome in a hug, holding her as tightly to his body as he could; a single teardrop shined as it fell from his eye, holding the girl that meant more to him than even Kikyo close, bathing in her warmth, forgetting what he had just done…

            _'Forgotten…' _the words rang a somber tune in Inuyasha's mind as he felt that single teardrop, the only one to ever escape from his eyes since he had been small, fall to the ground and shatter like glass. _'I…I didn't recognize her…I could have killed_ _her…I _forgot who she was_!!' _Inuyasha realized in horror, clasping Kagome all the more tightly as he felt tears running down his neck from the crying girl he now held in his arms.

            "Kagome?" He said softly, so softly that she wasn't sure she'd heard him. "I've had enough battles for today; I've had enough of Kouga; I've had enough of this damn monstrosity lurking inside me," he said in that same soft voice, freeing one hand from Kagome to grab the Tetsuaiga, holding it as if it were a lifeline; holding it to prevent himself from transforming, from possibly killing Kagome.

            "Inuyasha…he knows now; he's learned his lesson," Kagome whispered back, face still buried in Inuyasha's neck. "Now please…can we go?" 

            Inuyasha responded by lifting Kagome, still clinging to him as if he were the only solid object in a world of dreams, and sheathing the Tetsuaiga; clutching her thus, he sped through the forest, seeking refuge for he and Kagome, seeking refuge from his demon half, seeking refuge for what he could never be free of: his memories.

            Phew, that's a long chapter! Well, I hope you all enjoy it, and no—this isn't a cliffhanger, once more it's possible to surmise what's going to happen next (if you get it wrong, however, it's your own fault ^_^. ::ducks as brick gets thrown at him by Blue-Saiyan-Angel::).

            Well, there's the final chapter in this 3-part mini-saga; hope you enjoyed it! Please read and REVIEW, and if you've got any ideas for stories, thoughts on where I should go with this fanfics, fight scene requests, romance scene requests, you want me to read your story, etc, just post it in your REVIEW and I'll read and REVIEW your story ^_^.

            Jaa!


	20. Naze Watashi wa Kimi ni Tasukeru koto ga...

            Wow, I'm a little surprised, to say the least; fifteen reviews—a full page—is one heck of a lot of reviews to me, and I was definitely surprised when I had fifteen new review alerts when I came home from school today…lol.

            Inuyasha: Don't worry, I'm not gonna end the story yet—if my current plans hold up, I'm not even a third of the way through (I'm trying to break 100,000 words with my first fan-fiction…kind of ambitious, but hey—I've never been one to not try), so you don't have to worry about it ending anytime soon. Sorry to both you and anyone else who got the impression the story's ending: surprise surprise, it's not!

            BurningBritelyOne: Heh heh heh…Naraku _will_ enter the story at some point, I guarantee that; as for new detachments, I'm not sure: I may, if I can think up any good ideas for demons, but like I said, I don't know. Naraku, however, _will_ enter the storyline soon, however: I've got the plot all laid out for that, I just don't want to do it too soon because that would cut the story short by one heck of a lot (if I decided to do it now, you guys would get, at most, four more chapters…heh).  

            ::Camera pans over to me beating Kouga over the head with a frying pan::

            ::Looks up, tries to hide frying pan:: I don't own Inuyasha, now go away!

Chapter Twenty

            In a remote portion of the forest, Inuyasha now resided; head upon his knees, Tetsuaiga clutched in a white-knuckled grip as he strove to fight off the flood of memories that were welling up inside his mind; silence weighed as heavily upon the ears as a waterfall, thought pervaded every corner of this section of the forest: far-off…remote…desolate.

            _'Desolate…'_ Inuyasha murmured in his mind, warm sunlight warming his body but not his heart as he realized that's just how he felt. _'Cold, alone, and desolate...well, this is always what I wanted, right? Pushing others away from me, warding humanity from my heart; sanctioning myself off from human emotion…well, here I am. Wonderful, isn't it?'_

            He heard a crashing sound tearing through the forest as the one person he didn't want to see right now came running towards him, searching for him as desperately as he wanted to be left alone; he could hear her voice—her sweet, emotion-filled voice—ring out as she called his name.

            "Inuyasha? Where are you, Inuyasha!?"

            Her voice was tearing him in half: he ached to stay, be bathed in her warmth and comfort, knowing everything would be alright; at the same time, he longed to leave, knowing she'd be safe from the monstrosity he could change into at any moment, keeping her away from the wound he'd inflicted inside himself. 

            His indecision lasted long enough for Kagome to burst into the clearing and notice the hanyou in the tree, hand still clasped around the sheathed Tetsuaiga as to ward off impending doom.

            "Inuyasha, why didn't you…" she started, but Inuyasha snipped her voice off cleanly as he snapped,

            "Why did you come after me? I told you to stay at the camp site, didn't I?"

            Kagome was taken aback for a moment, but the call of Inuyasha's need was too strong for her petty anger as she spoke back,

            "First off, you were injured by Kouga. I don't care if it heals before I can do anything about it, it's better that I try than just sit back and let it go untreated. Second off, there's something else wrong with you, something worse that you're not going to tell me about, but it's just like your injuries: I can't sit back and leave it untended, now can I?"

            With a swift, sudden motion, Inuyasha cast off his yukata and undershirt, exposing a flawless chest and back as his eerily calm voice, permeated with nothing but the cool chill he was now feeling in his heart, resounded once more.

            "There, I'm fine; you can go back to the camp now and leave me be."

            "Inuyasha, I don't care if you _think_ you're not going to tell me: I'm not leaving this clearing until you tell me what's going on."

            "Don't leave, then; but _I_ will."

            He stood up on the tree limb, balancing with a fluid grace as he stepped out to the end of the bough. Leg muscles tensed as he fired himself from the tree, leaves whipping across his face as he began his surge through the canopy, wind whistling through…

            "_Osuwari_!" Kagome called, trying to stop him before he got too far away as the spell's effect took hold; branches and leaves were ripped down along with Inuyasha as he plummeted from twenty feet up in the air, pain suffusing his body as he slammed into the ground—he welcomed the pain, welcomed the helplessness as he lay there, pinned by the spell. It was a small retribution—what was being sat compared to what he had almost done to Kagome? What was physical pain in comparison to the pain he had nearly slain Kagome's heart with when he didn't recognize her?

            Not even bothering to mutter curse words in his mind, he stood up; dusting his yukata off, he prepared for another leap even as a second, "_Osuwari_!" was shouted out behind him, plunging him back into the hole that he had made before, yet it was to no avail: Inuyasha stayed cold, impassive, even as Kagome drew nearer, uttering a third, "_Osuwari!_" as the stubborn hanyou refused to budge.

            "Why won't you let me help you?" Kagome asked, voice a searing knife cutting him in two as she posed a simple question, kneeling next to Inuyasha as she lifted his face to stare into her eyes; cold amber met soft blue as Inuyasha jerked away and responded,

            "Because I don't need help," Inuyasha spat out, dragging himself up and attempting to leave once more, only to be sat by Kagome as she cried,

            "What do you mean you don't need help!? I can see it in your eyes you need help—they're cold, dead, hollow: not the eyes of the Inuyasha I kissed, baka!"

            Her shot had hit home, and she and Inuyasha both do it; but for both of them, it's the prerogative of the wounded to grow angry when their wound is further inflamed, such was Inuyasha's anger, smoldering in his heart, in his eyes, as he roared at Kagome.

            "You're right! You know what—you're right, okay!? This _isn't_ the Inuyasha you kissed, this is the real me, the me that Fate's had planned for me since before I was born—cold, alone, never needing anybody, never needing any_thing_, because to try to get it would just be pain!" His heart felt like it was going to explode, tears tried to force their way out but couldn't get past the blocks his life had set up. "That's why we started this quest, remember!? This whole goddamned, half-brained, stupid quest! We started it so I could get the Shikon no Tama and wish myself demon, so I wouldn't have to feel—to care—to…"

            _SMACK!_

            A blistering handprint scorched its way onto Inuyasha's face as Kagome's hand swept tracks across his face; both blinked in surprise for a second as Kagome looked down at her hand, numb from hitting his rock-hard face, then anger reigned once more as she burst out,

            "Don't make excuses: that's not why you're acting this way at all, you and I both know that! Now why don't you stop this selfish crap that I've been hearing since the day I unsealed you and tell me why you're ignoring me when all I'm trying to do is help you!?" He didn't respond, anger falling from his face as he stood there, insides warring with each other in an all-too-familiar struggle—one the had become even more common after that one kiss; that one, shining, beautiful kiss he should have never given; a kiss that had tormented him, plagued his dreams; haunted his thoughts…

            "Well!?" Kagome shouted, sticking her face in his as he still didn't answer.

            "Kagome…," Inuyasha said, a voice that mirrored the one he had use when he had held Kagome tight, seconds before he cast her into the well. "Why do you stay around me when I treat you how I do?"

            Kagome started to say something, them settled for a surprised, "Huh?" as she blinked stupidly at him, taken aback by his sudden, completely abnormal question as he continued.

            "Why do you stay around me when you know what I have, barely contained, inside me; when I could accidentally hurt you, _kill_ you, as easily as any of my enemies?" he demanded, voice rising in power and passion as he shoved his own face into Kagome's. "Why in the world do you keep my company when we fight so often; when by all laws of human and youkai you should be pushing me away, just like I always do to you?"

            Kagome sighed for a second, then said softly, "Because I don't care what you are, I don't care what you've done in the past; what I care about is what's in _here_," she breathed, tapping his chest lightly with the point of her finger. "It's the same way it's been ever since I met you, Inuyasha: you've kept me going; sometimes softly, mostly harshly, but you've kept me alive and feeling. It's like when I was trapped in that moth's cocoon, losing my humanity—just as you were with Kouga, but you kept it—the only thought that kept me going, kept me pushing through, was the knowledge that I had you, would always have you, to turn to. I care about you, Inuyasha: that's why I stay," she said, a small gasp escaping her lips as Inuyasha pulled her close, scent overpowering her as his face drew nearer…

            …and he kissed her deeply; savoring her taste, her smell, her scent once more; yet another double-edged sword added to his painful memories, but not caring as he held her tight once more. Cold, hard eyes melted; brittle yellow fused and molded into warm brown as he looked into Kagome's eyes, the whole summation of his being told in two words as bliss was his once more:

            "Arigatou, Kagome."

            And there they stayed, lost in time and thought, until night found them huddled for warmth together under the silver moonlight.

            Well, another angst/romance chapter…hope you enjoyed it! Gah, no time for any responses or anything right now, I've gotta get started on my math homework…as always, please read and review!

            Jaa, mata ne!


	21. Not a Story, But Almost As Good!

            Wow, another full page of reviews added to my story (plus one more; making for a total of 16)…sugoi ne! (Amazing, isn't it!) Lol, before my daily average was about ten; now it's fifteen reviews a day (and climbing!), and I can't thank you guys enough…

            Well, good news and bad news. The bad news is that tonight's chapter may be a little late because I'm going to go see Anger Management (Adam Sandler's my favorite actor; I've seen every one of his movies), the good news is I'm still going to update with review responses, and I'll try to put out an extra-long chapter tomorrow to make up for it; part of the reason I didn't tonight is I'm starting to get strapped for ideas, but I'll think up something…

            Diablo: Dang it, why couldn't you have mentioned that earlier…lol, I'm just kidding around; though, if I'd thought about it, it would have been an excellent excuse for Inuyasha to follow Kagome through the well to her own time…crap.

            (Blank): Hahaha, actually you _did_ spell 'hilarious' right; and yes, I'm pleased with the way I've been able to portray Inuyasha; basically, the way I write my story is this: I think of what I want to happen in the anime, what would be good to happen, weigh the two together, then sit down and write something that invariably goes a different direction from what I've thought…and yes, I will try to get Shippou in later: I like him to, although I think Inuyasha shouldn't get sat for smacking him sometimes because he _does_ deserve it sometimes…keh. 

            Inuyasha: Heh, thanks for the praise…personally, I've become kind of addicted to writing every night, just like you've become addicted to reading it: this is the first story I've ever been able to concentrate on; but in response to your question, "Arigatou" is a simple version of "Thank You" (translating as 'Thanks', only a little more polite); if you want to be more polite, you can say "Arigatou gozaimasu" or "Doumo Arigatou"; if you want to be super duper uberifically polite, it would be "Doumo Arigatou Gozaimasu".

            Kagome: Oh, that's cool; you're taking Japanese too? Heh…I still remember how excited I was when I got into Japanese class, I couldn't even wait for my teacher to give us the first five hiragana characters; I just printed some offline…well, I believe I posted translations around chapter 8 or 9; and I post translations in every part now (except for last time; excuse my bakaness: Kanashimizu=tears of sadness)

Inu-fan 500: Thanks for the praise; it's not really my first fan-fiction, it's just my first _posted _one (and, like I said, the only one I've ever been able to stick with); as for story ideas, I'd just have to say go with anything creative/original; if you want specific ideas, the only one I can think up off the top of my head would be something like Inuyasha dies, and Shippou grows up and starts having feelings for her…kinda weird, yes, but both original and creative. For my next fan-fiction, I'm probably going to write a Kouga/girl he was betrothed to (if anybody knows her name, please post it in their review; I'm a huge baka and forgot her name…lol) fiction; if you want to, go ahead and use that: I'll think up something else ^_^. And, since I'm on a creative warpath, you could have Inuyasha lapse back into his murderous relationship with his brother; have him kill Sesshoumaru, then he and Kagome adopt Rin/Inuyasha gets Tenseiga (I've always wondered what would happen if they got the two swords together; would they like fuse or something? Probably not, but it's interesting to think about…)

            Anonymous: Yeah, it's a bit too sappy, but I try to toss in fight scenes, and so far I'm succeeding (although they'll probably be more gory; if I was Inuyasha, I'd want Naraku/his detachments to suffer for what Naraku had done to me, look at what he did to Onigumo in chapter five it was, I believe); but if you want a quick fight scene, here you go:

            Rage pulsed through Inuyasha's body as he raised the Tetsuaiga, sunlight flaring off the cold steel as whirlwind gales began to swirl around both he and the sword; power surged through his arms as he felt the sword's true power begin to shine, apparent to both he, the bearer, and Seikoro, the target.

            Fear bloomed large in Seikoro's eyes as he tried to grab the Tetsuaiga, but his hand was repelled by its barrier—blistered, smoldering, he tried to keep his cold reason, his cool character, but he knew it was to no avail as he saw the might of the sword he had scorned laying so plainly in front of him.      

            A grin—suffused with the rush of victory soon to be made; the cold joy of the hunt; the ecstatic tingling of a kill about to be made—brightened Inuyasha's face as he raised the sword, screaming the name of the attack as it blazed forth, spilling from the sword in torrents of energy,

            "_BAKURYUUHA!!!!!!!!!!!_"

            A Kaze no Kizu—no, not a Kaze no Kizu, a force that possessed hundredfold power above the Kaze no Kizu—ripped forth from Inuyasha's swing; fear suffused Seikoro's black eyes even as joy brightened Inuyasha's, cyclones of untold power biting into Seikoro's flesh; flaying him alive; grinding through his bones, even as he let out one last, painful scream before he vanished in a final explosion that rocked the mountain to its very foundation.

            Foe vanquished, Inuyasha fell to wounded knee; blood streamed from hundreds of miniscule cuts on his body, oozed forth in wide streams from lacerations across his body. He spat defiantly on the ground, ripping off the shirt and undershirt of his Yukata as he growled defiantly,

            "Damn weak demon…"

            Hope you enjoyed that!

            Finally, to Mim: thanks for the praise, but what you mentioned isn't all that big of a deal: characterization comes from loving the series and just common sense as to what they'd do (I mean, not to put down other writers, but if you thought about it, how likely is it that they'd become touchy-feely so quickly ((if at all?)): we all know what Inuyasha's like!); writing ability is from the fact that, since I can't draw, I can only put down "pictures" on paper so I chose to hone that; and speed is kinda to make up for the fact I leave cliffhangers because I have about a two-hour window in which I can write, as I said before, so I try not to disappoint people (and myself; it's one thing to have ideas running around in your head, it's another to put them in black-and-white on the computer), but thanks for your comments!

            Well, here's the ending of my first review-response update that was three hours in the making (I started at 9 PM, but my friend called and asked me if I wanted to go see Anger Management, I went and saw it, and now I'm just finishing this up ^_^); I hope you enjoyed it, and although it's not as good/entertaining as a regular story, I'll try and make up for it tomorrow (promise!) ^_^. 


	22. Naraku O Sagashite Iru: Motto Chikai ni ...

            Well, this may or may not get done tonight (this was started right after I finished my review responses; I'm trying to be a non-evil author and give people what they want to read: more Inuyasha stuff that has not/probably will not happen!); if not, oh well: I'm sleepy, and you'll all find out tomorrow ^_^.

            BWA HA HA HA! Thirty thousand words will be met and passed with this chapter…whoa, I did thirty thousand words in about three weeks? Man, it doesn't feel like it's been that long, but here it is: exactly a month since I posted the first chapter of this story…if I continue at this rate, I'll break 100,000 words in less than two months…5w33t! ^_^.

            Inuyasha: I just wrote that fight scene out of the blue to Anonymous; I felt that if I couldn't get it updated last night, then I may as well offer _some _compensation; it's not part of my story, and probably never will be.

            BurningBritelyOne: Yes, Adam Sandler is the smartest man alive…I love that movie so much; my favorite, however, is Happy Gilmore (I've literally memorized that movie word-for-word I've seen it so many times). Anger  Management was pretty good; not as funny as I thought it would be, however (Jack Nicholas is funnier than Adam Sandler in this movie…)…I'll only say two words: Monk Monastery…lol.

            As for Kagome's eyes, they _are_ brown in the anime, but I've seen them blue in the manga, and since I think that blue is such a soulful color for someone's eyes I decided to use that color.

            Anonymous: That was just a random fight scene that I felt like writing; will probably never have any tie-ins to my current story.

            Blue-Saiyan-Angel: Hahaha, it's never monotonous when people want to read more of my story; I take it as praise, I just find it funny because it's kind of redundant, seeing as I update anyway (note that I'm not telling people to stop ^_^)

            Youkai Chick Supreme: Yeah, I do like Disturbed; I haven't heard all of their new CD, but I love Prayer and Liberate off their new album and all the songs off of The Sickness; I also love Linkin Park, hahaha.

            Quick Japanese translation: "_Ikimashou_" is "Let's go"; ex: you'd say, "Let's go to the theater!" (Eigakan e Ikimashou!).

            I don't own him, so please don't sue me; I can't control him, Inuyasha's not my anime…(lol, sing to the tune of Godsmack's "Straight Out of Line"…no, I don't own Godsmack either).

Chapter Twenty-One

            A whistling shriek from the Tetsuaiga spliced the air as Inuyasha brought it down from heavens above to cleave through the skull of a faceless demon as it launched itself at him; a shriek went up from the vile thing before it vanished into a vile powder, but long before that Inuyasha had whirled around and cleft another monstrosity's head off.

            _'Damnit, where the hell are all these coming from?'_ Inuyasha growled, nearly gasping for breath as he stared at the onrushing wall of demons, cleaving several more strokes; he attempted to hew a final demon, but his stroke fell short, and Inuyasha suddenly found himself prey to flailing claws…

            "Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, feeling as though arms were about to fall off, blisters from so many arrows fired burning with pain as a bright purple soul arrow blazed forth, reducing the demon to nothing more than hunks of viscous gobs of flesh, splattering all over the clearing. Not even bothering to say thanks (to do so would be foolhardy in the wake of their current situation), Inuyasha whirled around; holding his Tetsuaiga steady, trying to focus the winds through the hail of enemies, he finally decided enough was enough. 

            "Kaze no Kizu!" He roared, radiant destruction blazing forth from the sword, destroying some, wounding others, as it cleft through their ranks; not a fully powered attack, but enough to open a brief window of time to prepare a more powerful attack…

            Rage channeled through his body, fueled by his exhaustion as it found its form in the swirling winds that now engulfed the Tetsuaiga; transmuting it into blood red, crimson light shining out as he raised it above his head. Hurricane gales wrapped around he and Kagome as he raised the sword, and with an earth-shattering scream of, "_KAZE NO KIZU!!!_", the crimson Tetsuaiga unleashed it's roar; blue electricity melded with yellow power as it lanced out of the sword, no less than five score of the minor youkai met their ends at the hands of this attack.

            Without another word, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome; her last shot went erratic, but still wounded one of the larger demons, as Inuyasha clutched her to his chest and yelled, "Kagome! _Ikimashou!_" Running through the huge rift in their minor army, fending off those that were well enough to attack, he leapt into the closest tree available and set Kagome down; she seemed to understand what he was doing, even as she stood in the tree shakily and began unloading her quiver as quickly as possible at those that were drawing uncomfortably close.

            Meanwhile, on the ground, Inuyasha had the same idea: hot rage had iced into cold fury at the legions of Naraku's minions by this time, but anger is still anger, whatever its form. The Tetsuaiga drew this fury into itself…thawed it; purified it; and finally expounded upon it; the crimson hue once more snaked its way up the sword, Inuyasha grinning at the foolish youkai as they rushed towards him, purple stabs of light lancing down as Kagome launched arrow after arrow.

            "_KAZE NO KIZU!!!_" 

            For the final time that day, the Wound of the Wind streamed forth from the Tetsuaiga; it was no longer a mere attack of several claw-mark streams of energy, however: energy burst forth in a tidal wave of energy. It burned the trees; flash-fried the dead matter on the forest floor; and finally reached its intended target with a final surge of energy. The cries of a thousand youkai merged fluidly into one long, drawn-out scream as the Tetsuaiga's power overwhelmed them…then nothing, bodies incinerated in a flash.

Panting for breath, Inuyasha rested for the first time in almost two hours, Kagome not much better off; they'd run into this virtual army almost two hours ago, and had fought tooth and nail, sword and arrow, side by side; sometimes fleeing, mostly fighting. 

Ignoring his present state of exhaustion, Inuyasha stood up, using the Tetsuaiga as a walking cane to hold him up. Energy fading from him, he allowed it to transform into its lighter, easier-to-carry standard form as he stepped tiredly towards the tree where he had left Kagome. 

Limping slightly (he hadn't been able to stop all the demons, after all), he stood beneath the tree he had left Kagome in. Adrenaline fading from him, he barely had the strength to stand, let alone leap back into the tree, as he called up to Kagome,

"Oi, Kagome!"

            Kagome looked down, blue eyes showing as much fatigue as Inuyasha was feeling, and called, "Hai, Inuyasha?"

            "Come on, jump down; they're all taken care of."

            She nodded sullenly, then lowered herself gently, tiredly, down from the tree and fell the remaining five feet into Inuyasha's waiting arms, being caught by him (and nearly falling forward in the process), she attempted to free herself from his grasp and stand up so they could begin their trek 'home', but was thwarted in that attempt when he surprised her with a short, sweet embrace. Before she could say anything, however—even so much as a, "What?"—he had released her, and without a word mentioning the hug, he said,

"Climb on my back; you're tired enough as it is." Kagome sought to protest, something along the lines of, 'I can't ask you to carry me, you're tired enough already!', but was cut off by Inuyasha as he said, "I don't care what you have to say, you're not walking back to camp; get on."

            Kagome tried to protest once more, but a weary glare from Inuyasha silenced her as she sleepily nodded her head, then allowed herself to be loaded onto his back, sleep stealing silently over her as she rested her head on his shoulder, idly twining her fingers in his hair in her half-conscious state.

--Later—

            Kagome's face was as red as fire, matching Inuyasha's as he tended to her wounds as quickly (and as gently) as possible with some magic elixir from the future out of her first aid kid. There were one or two deep cuts on Kagome's back, and she was peppered with small slashes and cuts, and in order to reach all of them, Inuyasha had requested her to remove her shirt.

            That didn't go over too well with Kagome, and, after being sat by Kagome, she agreed to let him tend the wounds on her back. Berating himself mentally for allowing her to be injured (he was supposed to _protect_ her, not allow youkai to injure her!) and trying to stop the blush on his face from going absolutely critical, he occupied both he and Kagome's thoughts with something he'd realized since they'd first began their long battle.

            "You do know what this means, don't you?" Inuyasha questioned, gently rubbing on a clear cream into one of the most serious wounds she had incurred, a three-inch-long, quarter-inch deep cut parallel to her spine.

            Taken off-guard by the sudden question, but recovering quickly, Kagome responded, "Of course I do; all these demons rising up, especially _this_ many?"

            "Good. It means we're finally getting closer to Naraku; can't you feel the submerged jaki in the air? Those weak demons couldn't cause it; only Naraku or another one of his blasted incarnations could do it, and it would have to be something as powerful as Goshinki to cause this much of a disturbance," he growled, blush almost forgotten as he began to massage the medicine into Kagome's skin.

            "Un…," Kagome agreed, focusing more on the pleasure of Inuyasha's hands working free the pent-up tension in her back than on the depressing reality that Naraku was still out there. She closed her eyes, and thought to herself, _'Now I know how my Inuyasha feels whenever someone rubs his ears…'_ with a small smirk on her face, until her eyes flew open as she realized what she'd just called him. _'Wait a second…since when is he _my _Inuyasha?'_

_            'Since the kiss, baka…'_ A voice, a perfect replica of Inuyasha, sounded in her head as it brought back a memory of that night; a night of fortune, of possibility fulfilled, a night of realization…

            "The sooner we find that bastard, the better—he wants to defile the Shikon no Tama? I'll defile it with his own blood…there, done!" He growled, lost in the throes of his hatred towards Naraku as he lowered Kagome's shirt…and was pleasantly surprised as Kagome leaned herself back into him, grabbed his arms, and laid them around her waist.

            "Uh, Kagome, I'm…," he started, then shook his head and thought, _'What the hell am I doing?'_ as he settled in for some peaceful time with Kagome, arms wrapped around her waist as he held her fast to him; inhaling her scent, feeling her warmth, and just enjoying…_her_. 

            Well, here's chapter 21: I was starting to run out of ideas, but guess what: I didn't! Go me!

Well, in other things, I was listening to music and I discovered two songs that perfectly characterize Inuyasha, both on the new Linkin Park CD, Meteora: Somewhere I Belong is the first, and Easier To Run is the second (both songs rule; Easier to Run is my favorite song on the album). They're so obvious (and the fact that I've listened to the whole CD a bunch of times) that I'm surprised I didn't see them earlier…

Well, I hope you liked this chapter; I coupled fighting and romance together, so it's got something for everybody…please review and tell me what you think in your reviews.

One final note: with this chapter, I have officially broken the 30,000 word mark now, and I feel good about myself: in a total of about 3 weeks I've gotten 181 reviews (as of last count), written 30,000 words, and gotten better at writing on a deadline. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and encouraged me to continue, and who still continues to do so; and, as always, if you have any threats on my life/comments/things I could fix/fight scene requests/romance scene requests/anything in particular, just post it in your review!

Jaa, mata ashita!


	23. Aku ga ita n desu yo There's Evil Afoot

            Well, here's chapter 22…I did pretty much nothing today, my friend stayed the night last night, but we just sat around and played Pokemon Sapphire on my computer all day today…so yeah, we had a worthwhile day (sarcasm) ^_^. Well, you probably don't really care about that, so here's the next part of the story (after some review responses!).

            Inuyasha: You made a small typo in your thing too, it's Tetsuaiga, not Tetsuiaga; but anyways, both spellings are technically inaccurate: Inuyasha's sword is pronounced Tessaiga, and spelled accordingly in roman letters, because there's the character for Te, then a small character for tsu (which causes the consonant in the following character to double; i.e. if I wrote Ta-little tsu-te, it would be Tatte, not Tatsute). I did make a typo last chapter, but I spell it Tetsuaiga for two reasons: first off, I think it looks cooler that way; second, most of the fan-fictions spell it that way and I didn't want to get a bunch of reviews saying, "Isn't it Tetsuaiga, not Tessaiga?".

            Anonymous: No problem; they probably will fight Naraku alone (or, at the very least, I'll have Miroku and Sango knocked out somehow; I've already got the ending pretty much planned/written out, and it works better without Sango/Miroku/Shippou in there…but I can't give away too much, no can I? ^_^)

            Kagome: Thanks a lot for the praise (holds hand behind head and grins); I wasn't sure if people thought I was doing better or not, hahaha…oh well, now I know thanks to you ^_^.

            Waltraud: Yes, I agree…she DOES sit Inuyasha too much sometimes (I think that those sit-necklaces should have a built-in thing where it doesn't work if Kagome's just sitting him because she's angry); case in point where Inuyasha says, "Kagome's small hearted sometimes," then Kagome sits him about seven or eight times in a row, not even bothering to take a breath…

            Lindy*girl: Yeah, I was wondering what people thought about it…I liked it, I didn't even bother to go back and read it until about three hours ago and I found out that it _did_ fit together pretty well…subconscious genius, I guess (lol; j/p).

            I don't own Inuyasha; I do, however, own several very cool posters of him…and this fan-fic: can't forget about that!

Chapter Twenty-Two

            A vile mass of flesh rests upon the floor as a dull chuckle cuts through the dry, dusty air of the basement; green, viscous flesh attached to the wall seemingly rots away, littered with the remains of what were once—what? Demons? Humans?

            A grunt shatters the brief silence as a human face grins, feeling a struggle waging within him—the battle is already lost. What he wants to stay, stays; what he wants to go, goes; and with a laugh and one final push, the head, legs, and arms of an ogre fall to the floor with a combination of a sickening _splat_ and a bone-chilling _thud_.

            Yellow eyes bulge out of a green skull as it struggles to breathe, blood spilling from it as it is cut off from its life support…severed arm having a life of its own, still attached to Naraku, it crawls on slime-slicked fingers, clasping its hand around the oni's vile head, and it begins to squeeze, blood spilling from between the fingers of its own hand as it tries desperately to cling to life…and then the skull is crushed, ooze and blood spilling across the floor as Naraku smirks grimly at his own entertainment, for his mind is elsewhere…

            His mind is close to a hundred miles away, paying no heed to the mountain ranges, fields, forests, and rivers separating him from his thoughts…his thoughts are focused on two individuals, two individuals lost inside their own thoughts, paying no heed to the mind that interposes itself upon them…not that they could do anything about it, should they realize it—such was the power of the nearly-completed Shikon no Tama.

            "That Hanyou has been the thorn in my side for quite some time…," Naraku spoke calmly to himself, disgusting sacs of flesh pulsing around him as his still-injured body sought to rejuvenate itself from the barrage of claws, fangs, Toukijin, and Tetsuaiga it had endured—it had been almost two months since that encounter with Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru, but such was the fury in their attacks that his body had not been able to regenerate properly yet—the tainted powers of the Shikon no Tama were waning in their use for regenerative purposes, and the wounds inflicted by the Kaze no Kizu and the Toukijin's might were immune to its effects.

            "He's been drawing closer to here…even with all my illusions, fallbacks, allies, and armies, he's been drawing closer…a whole army of youkai, slaughtered by he and Kikyo's reincarnation," he spat the last two words, burning upon his tongue as Onigumo's soul still strove to rise up inside him. "It's time I tried a more…direct…approach."

            A small grin, saturated with malice, split his stone-solid features as he began devising a plan…seeded with the same malice as one fifty years in the past; shattering the trust between the two…hitting them at their weakest point…embroiling then in hate, rage, and betrayal, until finally…well, we know the end to this tale, don't we?

            _'But it will be different this time…'_ Naraku laughed lightly, remembering the power that had almost been his through absorbing Sesshoumaru…a light taste still lingered in his body, hungering for more, craving the power that would make him unstoppable. _'Sesshoumaru is involved this time…he could be a dangerous adversary, or…with certain manipulations of that half-breed…an unwitting ally…'_

Dark gears twisted, turned, in Naraku's head as the nightmare unfolded inside his own mind; imagined it coming into fruition; and smiled…

            _'There is no chance of error,'_ he thought, smiling at the thought. _'It is exactly as it was fifty years ago, with nothing different but a change of girls…'_

--Meanwhile—

            "Kaede-baasan, Miroku-sama's…"

            WHACK!

            "::Sigh:: Unconscious again…," Shippou groaned, shaking his head dejectedly as he looked over the two stricken warriors. With no more than a week having gone into their recovery, they were making rapid progress—Miroku was well enough to recognize two the two gropable areas of the female persona; Sango well enough to defend against lechers, though not well enough to wield the Hiraikotsu. It never boded well, however: as soon as Sango had hit Miroku, he was either knocked out or soon fell back into feverish sleep; likewise Sango, exhausting her meager reserves of energy, would fall back into unconsciousness.

            Shippou sighed, perfect match for one of Inuyasha's as he stared at the two, unconscious once more while he took the cold towels, wrung out the excess water, and mopped the sweat off their foreheads as he tried to keep their fevers down. Shippou had been the primary caretaker of Sango and Miroku over the past week, seeing as how Kaede-baasan and Kirara had been called upon numerous times to help defend the village against the upsurge of youkai and oni in the area.

            He didn't begrudge Kaede, Kirara, Sango, or even Miroku of this: a child at heart, adult in most ways of thought, he knew that he was the only logical choice for their care: he couldn't fight that well, as of yet, though he'd noticed (with great pride) that his powers had been growing as of late; his Kitsune-bi, once no more than an annoyance to the weakest of youkai, was now a worthy tactic should he find himself faced with a standard-strength demon (and he had, once having to protect Miroku and Sango from several youkai that had snuck in through the villages defenses; he could rest assured they would not be returning, as he had seen their ashes blaze in the wake of his Kitsune-bi); his illusions were becoming easier to handle and stronger in their ability to convince.

            Bu newfound powers were worthless here, playing the part of nurse and doctor to the two as they slipped in and out of feverish dreams about events long past; dreams and nightmares playing inside their heads in equal measure; thoughts of each other paining them as they both knew they were powerless to help the other in their moment of need.

            Shippou stared out the window, looking towards the waning moon as he tried to rub the stench of vomit, rancid and acidic to his youkai nose, from the smell of the tatami on the floor, as he thought,

            _'Hurry back, Kagome…,'_ and, as an afterthought, he added, _'You too, Inuyasha.'_

            Yawning deeply, the young cub closed his eyes gently, leaning against the warmth of Sango, sliding into a place devoid of death and despair; war and pain…the dreams of a child. 

            Well, a little shorter than normal, but hey, give me a break: it's almost one in the morning, I was almost completely out of ideas when I started, and I just felt that was a good place to end this chapter…the yawn I imagined Shippou giving in this chapter made me yawn myself, lol.

            Well, here's chapter twenty-two…it should push me to somewhere around 32,500/33,000 words; I'm really trying to hit 100,000 words with this fan-fic, but I don't think it's going to happen; unless I can make Naraku's plan really long and contrived/think of a way to have him slowly mess with them, then I won't be able to do it…although, as always happens, I'm getting ideas as I write the ending to this chapter.

            And to whoever wanted Shippou to make an appearance (sorry, my internet's going really slow right now and I don't feel like waiting 10 minutes to go through two webpages…gomen nasai…), surprise! Here you go!

            Well, I think I got somewhere around ten reviews today; oh well, still good! I enjoyed reading them, and I enjoy responding to them too; so please read and review, I'm only about ten or twelve away from hitting two hundred! ^_^ 

            Jaa, mata ashita! 


	24. Ribyuu Resuponso Ni Review Responses 2

            Well, here's some review responses; but don't worry: the chapter _will_ be posted later tonight! I just didn't think it would be a good idea to put 500+ words of reviews at the beginning of the story…

            Silver Starlight: Yes, I cannot wait for Naraku to get beaten in the anime…I think my favorite moment in Inuyasha (warning, spoiler ahead; don't read if you don't want this part to be spoiled) is when he FINALLY gets to attack Naraku, when Naraku's trying to consume Sesshoumaru and absorb his body. I was _so_ freaking happy when both he and Sesshoumaru hit Naraku with the Kaze no Kizu and the Toukijin's attack…he wants to mess with people's minds? Let's see what happens when they catch up to him…

            Lindy*girl: No, Naraku's not going to cut them any slack…you should know that from watching the series; Naraku's a bitch and a half, lol.

            Sauratos: Hey, I never said I'd actually do it: I said I'd try; that being said, I'm still going to attempt to get to 100,000 words. Don't count it out yet; it's a daunting task, but I still have plenty of ideas left (at least 20,000 words in my mind right now) so yeah…I'm not going to make the story stale and boring just to get to 100,000 words, though. When I feel enough is enough, then I'll end it, but I'll still give it a good shot.

            Youkai Chick Supreme: Yes, I am a guy…a 17 year old guy in California, to be exact ^_^; this serves to explain why I'm good at violence/fight scenes, but I'm at a loss as to why I'm good at writing romance…but yeah, in any event I think I've mentioned 'Headstrong' by Trapt before, and I seriously think someone should make a music video out of it…if someone can recommend an editing/splicing software that's free and can be downloaded online, I'll give it a shot: I've got 50 gigs of free space, 20 Inuyasha episodes already (and downloading more; all the ones I had before were lost when I switched comps), and Headstrong's one of my favorite songs.

            Laura: Inuyasha says Kagome's small-hearted in episode number 96; Rin has to get this fruit to save Jaken's life, and she sees Jinenji when he's in his human form (you don't get to see what he looks like, however: he's hiding) to find out where it is. Jinenji tells her after she cajoles him that she needs it before sunset, and later Kagome and crew stop by. Jinenji says she succeeded in her quest because she had a beautiful and big heart like Kagome. Then said hanyou opens his big yap and gets sat about 10 times in a row ^_^.

            Rogue-Saiyajin: They may, they may not…I've already got it planned out, I just have to put it down so you guys can read it ^_^. (A/N: Yes, I am evil…bwa ha ha…)

            Saiyajin-Empress: Hahaha, thanks for the praise…I'm actually surprised nobody's mentioned anything about that being gory/disgusting/whatever, but oh well ^_^. I prefer to be descriptive with my attributes of people, and I wasn't quite sure if I'd gotten that one done right, but you convinced me otherwise…thank you!

            Anonymous: Naraku could get close to Inuyasha/Sesshoumaru (at least in my story): he can use illusion and trickery to his advantage, mess with their minds to make them think they're smelling something other than that, disguise himself and his smell, etc…but I'm probably giving too much away ^_^.

            Nozomi: Yes, many people are surprised I'm a guy and can write romance fairly well…definitely not a normal guy-trait, lol (even my friend Tonya, whose known me for somewhere around nine years, was surprised the first time she read one of my romance scenes). It's understandable, though, and I don't really mind if people make a mistake like that ^_^. 

            Well, review responses part 2…enjoy!

            (MWA HAHAHAH! I DON'T HAVE TO PUT A DISCLAIMER IN HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL MINE! MINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINE!!!)


	25. My bad, sorry for the long nonupdate maw...

            Woohoo: 200 reviews, and I have Omnitoad and his question to thank for that ^_^! This makes 35,000 words broken, and that's pretty much it…except for a response to Omnitoad's question/yell!

            Omnitoad: I get my Inuyasha episodes from Kazaa; I have DSL so it's permanently connected, so I just d/l them all day…I'm gonna buy the DVDs as soon as I actually have some money (i.e. after this summer; I'm saving almost every penny I can get for what will probably be Sado Club's last exchange program to Japan), because they're hella cool, or I may just buy them in Japan ^_^. 

            Codename: Anrui Yuy: Yep, I'm a guy…I've actually said it twice before, but I guess people are still surprised; it's funny because my two biggest strengths in writing are romance and fighting. ::shrugs shoulders:: Complete opposites…

Sorry about the unexplained absence…I didn't run out of ideas, but I've just been pretty busy for the past couple of days (one of my friends had a problem; I went and saw Anger Management again; I went skating (rolling, not skateboarding for those of you who are wondering); studied Japanese some more (I've been kind of lax recently; I know everything we're gonna learn in Japanese 4, but I like to study on my own); and, finally, I've started work on an original piece of fiction—essentially all the stuff I'm supposed to be doing on Spring Break ^_^. Well, without further ado, here you go!

            I don't own Inuyasha. (What, you were expecting something funny? ^_^0)

Chapter 23

            They'd stayed together, locked in each other's embrace, for an untold amount of time—each completing the other, soul reaching out to touch and inflame the other—until Kagome's stomach had decided to take a page out of Inuyasha's book and growled loudly enough to wake the dead. This was, of course, certainly loud enough for a hanyou with sensitive ears to hear, especially when he was less than a foot away from her.

            Inuyasha smiled, unable to see Kagome's face but imagining it glowing with embarrassment at such an unladylike noise; releasing her, albeit reluctantly, from his grasp, he snickered slightly and said,

            "Hungry?"

            Kagome made a motion to nod, but her stomach usurped her planned response as it released another growl; not as vicious as before, but still enough to let anybody nearby know that she was hungry. Stiff legs fighting all the while, Inuyasha got up, gently shoving Kagome off his lap as he helped her up; then, giddiness and euphoria filling his mind, bounded out of the clearing.

            The same giddiness and bubbly, giggly happiness coursed through Kagome's mind, giving everything a pink and rosy glow; watching Inuyasha leave, Kagome ignored the roars of her stomach threatening to eat itself as she lowered herself to the ground, still feeling like she was locked in his warm embrace.

            That feeling had stayed with Inuyasha as well, but it was rapidly fading as his youkai blood surged within him, goading his senses into heightened awareness, preparing him for the hunt. Not that he really needed it, however: his mind was already tuned to the hunt, it always was: it seemed he was always hunting something…prey, Naraku, Kagome's love…it was all the same. But now was not the time to think about his quests—his mate was sitting, hungry, back at their campsite. He didn't have time for thought.

            And indeed, the need for thought vanished as the scent of deer took its place; blocking out thought, replacing it with instinct, as Inuyasha entered into the age-old predator-prey, fight or flee mindset. Smirking slightly, claws glinting in the sunlight, he launched himself towards a particularly huge buck.

            _'More food for my mate and I…'_ Inuyasha said to himself as he brought his claws down in screaming arcs, yellow light lancing from them as a cry of, "SANKON TESSOU!" startled the deer far too late…

            Kagome, meanwhile, had decided to do the womanly thing while Inuyasha hunted: take a bath. It had been nearly a day since her last bath, and she had practically been able to feel herself growing grimier by the second…she shuddered, sinking deeper into the warm mineral water of the hot spring…being softly caressed by the gentle kiss of the water lapping against her bare skin…

            _'Not as good as Inuyasha's caress, though…,' _Kagome thought softly to herself, closing her eyes and letting herself sink into the warm water as her face tinted a slight red, remembering all the special moments she had spent with Inuyasha.

            Memories flitted through her mind like butterflies, beautiful sparks of light that played in her calm mind; showing themselves to her, then vanishing, all the while trying to hold onto them as they gently brought back times past…

            They bore her back to a time almost a year ago, to the first time she had ever seen Inuyasha as a human…unnatural to her, yet natural at the same time, as if she'd known him forever…head laying on her lap as the poison took effect—and just as suddenly the scene changed, and she was flying towards Inuyasha, locked in the spider's web; tears falling from her eyes as she refused his demands for her to leave him.

            Raven hair spiraled out on top of the water as another memory took hold of her—their first kiss. A night charged with pain, passion; love, hate; revelations and dispelling of lies in equal measure. Everything changed with that one kiss; with Inuyasha's spoken, yet untold, confession that he'd rather die than have Kagome risk being hurt…that one action that stopped time in its tracks.

            She shook herself to try to clear the memories out of her head and get back to taking a bath, but still they flitted outside her immediate thought; begging to come back in and gently lift her up to the perfect past they represented…and Kagome couldn't resist. Washcloth and soap sank to the bottom of the spring as once more the memories took gently over, like pictures in her head they played over and over…

            Inuyasha found himself in a similar predicament, although the situation was a little different: instead of absentmindedly cleaning himself (something he did weekly, as opposed to it being an everyday event…he'd grown accustomed to sparse bathing as a child) he was absentmindedly flaying the hide from the buck that he'd brought down with a single stroke of his claws.

            For he too was contemplating Kagome, but the memories that were being brought up were not all as pleasurable as Kagome's were…for every emotion he thought he felt for Kagome, a nasty voice reminded him of how he'd had the same for Kikyo; for every memory he replayed inside his mind, a mirror sprung up and reflected the same actions he'd once done with Kikyo…

            But something was different this time: there was no darkness threatening to overwhelm his heart; no all-encompassing pain threatening to swallow him up in its murky depths as it rushed over him; no fearful contemplation if he'd made the right decision by choosing Kagome and killing Kikyo…

            The lack of fear and emotional turmoil was enough to surprise him in itself, but there was something else beyond that that simply shocked him: he was sure of himself. He didn't doubt the action he'd made; was prepared to face the consequences; and was sure of himself; for the first time since Kikyo had entered his life—for the first time since tainted love had poisoned his heart—he was confident and sure in a decision.

            And it was Kagome that he was sure about.

            Inuyasha stopped ripping out the deer kidney he had been absentmindedly picking at for the past minute and stopped in realization: he was confident in Kagome? But…he'd never been sure of anyone before this (aside from his mother, of course), and he'd never been sure about anybody in this particular way before: not even Kikyo.

            When he had been courting Kikyo, he had been doubtful, for lack of a better term—he had been far more than doubtful. Every day he worried he'd wake up and it would all be a dream; every day he'd worried that he would wake up and Kikyo would merely be a dream.

            _'But not Kagome…'_ He thought to himself, finally just tearing out the annoying vital organ from the deer and tossing it aside as he looked up into the azure sky—the same beautiful color as Kagome's eyes…

            Gah, I know it's short and that it's rotten of me to leave you like that after what, five day's absence? Sorry…but don't worry, I've got more stuff (that actually moves the story ahead! GASP!) planned for next chapter, and stuff will _really_ start getting interesting…hee hee hee…as always, please Read and Review!

PS: I would've kept going, but I've put off my history poster all week, and seeing I'm as bad at drawing as Galadriel believes I'm good at keeping characters in-character, I've gotta get a jump on it…I promise I'll try my best to update tomorrow! Really! 

::ducks as annoyed fans throw stuff at me::

::still gets hit by fluffy bunny::


	26. Rin wa hanyou de koroshita n desu ka? Ri...

            Well, surprise! I updated again without a five-day wait…lol. I'm not sure if there will be an update on Monday night because Mondays are crazy for me, it'll be even crazier because I haven't been to school in a week (my day goes wake up, school, work, get home at 9/10, do homework)…I'll try, though!

            Ah, review responses: I've missed doing these ^_^.

            Erica: Yeah, I know about that: I actually saw a picture of the kiss (it's buried in the depths of the reviews for Time for a Change, which is a very good fic, btw), and if anybody knows when the second Inuyasha movie's coming out, please: TELL ME! ^_^

            Lady Yami: Yes, I love the Bakuryuuha: I think my favorite moment in Inuyasha is when he unleashes the Bakuryuuha on Ryuukotsusei (either that or in the episode where he fights the guy whose trying to make the man-eating tree…for those who don't know, Kagome's in a bath that'll dissolve her into plant food, and Inuyasha rushes down to save her, and he bursts in the door. Anyways, she sees Inuyasha and stands up straight, then throws her arms wide and yells, "Inuyasha!", not realizing that she's completely naked until she sees Inuyasha blushing…lol).

            Ikanugo: Yes, I did; lol, you're just a teensy bit late on that one: someone told me about that when I first started my story ^_^.

            Omnitoad: Sure, no problem: my Kazaa name is the same as my Fanfiction.net username, i.e. Kaminari.

            Sylver-Ajah: I believe I've posted all the translations; if I haven't, please post the words you'd like translated in your next review/email them to me (my e-mail address is Azevedojsh@aol.com).

            Inuyasha: Don't worry bout ideas; I had a huge burst of ideas last night when I was going to bed (for once they actually concerned themselves with what's gonna happen next in the story! That's surprising because most of the time I'll get ideas for stuff that's gonna happen a dozen chapters in the future and then be screwed for the time being…lol); it will take longer than two days for Naraku to implement his plan, but I'm solid on what's gonna happen during this time ^_^.

            Whew, eighteen reviews…new record for most on a chapter for me ^_^. Yay!

            Tasukete kudasai: Please help me!

            I don't own Inuyasha; I do, however, own many cups of ramen. Maybe I can lure him in and bop him over the head with a sledge…::looks at viewers:: Uh…heheheh…on with the story!

Chapter Twenty-Four

            Approximately ten miles from the pair of Inuyasha and Kagome, there sat a solitary figure atop a rock overlooking a deep valley; silent and morose as he pursued the vast reaches of deep thought, scents drifting in and out as thoughts and—could it be?—emotions ran through his mind. Lord Sesshoumaru sat silently, contemplating where Naraku could possibly be, even as less than a mile away Rin played, searching for food even as Jaken gasped painfully, out of breath from trying to keep up with her.

            Rin giggled, lost in the sense of happiness that fills a child like sunlight fills the sky, as she kept running; she ignored the breathless cries of, "Rin! Wait!" as she sped through the forest, leaves slapping her arms, late afternoon sun spilling scarlet on the forest floor. Tiny hands plucked berries from bushes, popping them into their owner's mouth who then felt their sweet, nourishing juices rush out into her mouth.

            And still Lord Sesshoumaru sat, Toukijin and Tenseiga at his side, as he stared off into the bright reaches of the day.

            Meanwhile, Kagome was digging into her meal with a ferocity only matched by Inuyasha when confronted with ramen; Inuyasha watched, astounded, as flat-edged human teeth tore huge chunks out of the meat and disappeared down her throat as fast as water down a thirsty throat.

            _'How does she not choke?'_ Inuyasha thought, sweatdropping slightly as Kagome's feeding frenzy slowed slightly after swallowing a fist-sized chunk of deer. He sighed resignedly and began eating his own portion of deer before Kagome decided that she wanted the whole buck…he also, however, growled in frustration as the first hunk of deer leg he reached for was snatched by the hungry Kagome.

            Resisting the urge to yell, "BITCH!" for once in his life, Inuyasha merely grumbled as he grabbed the next available piece more quickly, telling himself not to be angry at Kagome: she was merely hungry…

            …as was Jaken by now: chasing after an energetic nine-year-old (a/n: I'm not sure if this is her real age, or if it was even mentioned in the anime…if it was, and she's older/younger, just assume she went through a feudal-age time warp and grew younger/aged ^_^) will do that to you, especially when you haven't eaten in over a day already. Unfortunately for poor Jaken, Rin had stripped the bushes on the path bare already; drops of berry juice, red as blood and far more tasty, littered the pathway and formed a trail leading to Rin, who was now far ahead of the poor, old toad.

            Growling in frustration, stomach growling in hunger, he was about to break down into one of his characteristic temper-tantrums and start beating the ground with his staff, crying about how unfair the world was, until he saw Rin stopped in a clearing a little more than a hundred and fifty yards away.

            Smiling at the fact he would finally be able to catch up to that damn little girl, he increased his speed, fighting against his sore legs as he used his staff as a cane to prop him up. Hobbling thus, lungs gasping for air all the while, he nonetheless managed to make it to the clearing in record time.

            When he arrived, however, he found Rin staring up into a tree, puzzlement written in her eyes as Jaken arrived, unnoticed, beside her. Unnoticed, that is, until he opened his mouth and cried,

            "Rin, what are you doing!? I told you to slow down and wait for me, and all of a sudden you're gawking up at some tree for no reason? ::Sigh:: It is a good thing I'm Sesshoumaru-sama's most faithful servant, or else I don't know how I'd put up with you…"

            "Jaken-sama?" Rin asked, taking her attention away from the tree for a second as she tilted her head left to look Jaken in the face.

            "What is it, Rin?" He grumbled, annoyed, as he prepared to leave the clearing and attempt to simultaneously search for food and keep an eye on Rin (a nigh-impossible task, even for Sesshoumaru…)

            "Why is Sesshoumaru-sama standing in that tree over there? Rin thought he was back at the cliff."

            "What do you mean, Sesshoumaru-sama's sitting in that tree? I can't see anything!" Jaken said, staring into the same tree.

            "Look! There he is!" Rin said, as the leaves on the tree began to vibrate slightly; though no wind was present.

            Jaken stared harder, trying to see what Rin saw…and then terror bloomed large in his eyes as the masked youki flowed forward in a suffocating wave and a dark figure leapt from the tree. He grabbed Rin, and screamed at her to run as he whipped around, heads upon his staff dropping their mouths in preparation for the burst of flame that was soon to come.

            Not soon enough, however: five lines, slashes from claws, tore into Jaken as if he were no more than paper; the fire shot in a bolt from the mouth of the toppled staff, barely managing to singe the dog-shaped ear on top of the figure's head.

            Grinning sadistically, red kimono trailing behind him in the wind, he leapt off towards the little girl who was now running away in stark terror, crying, "JAKEN-SAMA!" as she could hear the monstrosity leaping closer and closer to her with every beat of her heart.

            Tears glittered as they fell from her eyes, dripping down onto the ground, and with an impassioned scream of, "SESSHOUMARU-SAMA! TASUKETE KUDASAI!" the hanyou descended upon her, claws tearing through cloth and flesh alike as energy rent the air; blood seeped out of her body in a torrent as her eyes glassed over, and she whispered one, final plea:

            "Sesshoumaru-sama…tasu…ke…te…"

            Sesshoumaru's head snapped up, jerked out of sullen thought by Rin's scream; hand immediately flew to Toukijin as he took off towards the scream. Wind rushing past his ears, blowing it back in a silver mane, he strained his ears to hear something else, but there was nothing.

            But what his ears missed, his nose picked up: as the wind blew in his face, he smelled something else…a coppery, thick smell…a smell tainted with the smell of Jaken, yet perfumed with the scent of Rin…

            Blood.

            ::bows low:: Gomen ne, sorry it's short (yet again!), but it's 1:05 AM right now, and I've gotta wake up at 7 AM…gah, I'll make sure I get more done tomorrow ^_^. Well, please enjoy…jaa, mata ne!


	27. Otokonokyodai no Kirai Go Brother's Wor...

            Uso! (Lie!) 35 new reviews today, and it's only nine at night…dang…^_^ well, I'm happy now!

            Nightrain (who gave me many many reviews today ^_^): I've known about Onigumo's defeat since before I started this fiction: I just got the feeling that Onigumo wanted out again ^_^. 

            To answer your other question: I just write what I feel; if I think of something that I think would work good (cold floor of the world; tear line; etc) I'll write it in. Ex: I just thought this up one day, and if I ever get around to writing a book around ideas I have (probably after this story's complete), this will go in it:

Whispers of amber, streaking sky a golden hue;

Tears of blood stain her face, as a blush;

Emotions, thoughts, feelings piquantly stew;

Soul grows quiet in hidden hush

            Etc; I just think of stuff like that and put it in ^_^. Finally, it turns out its not a line in chapter _three_: it was a line in chapter 4, I believe; the part about Kagome's eyes. I was almost out of ideas right there, then I hit on that and just ran with it…thus creating the rest of that chapter ^_^.

            Ikanugo (who also gave me many many reviews!): Inu means dog, Yasha is another word for demon; so, literally translated, it means dog-demon. And no, there will be no Miroku/Sango relationship in this story: there may be in the future, but I'd rather do a Kouga/Ayume (thanks Liz ^_^) fiction, or start on my original work…working on two stories would be hard, and it'd be kind of hard to keep ideas from bleeding through to each other.

            Well, that's it for now: if there's anymore reviews, I'll check after I get home (Woohoo! No homework tonight, which means a longer story for you guys! I forgot I had a test in math today, which entails no homework; and I we just got finished with a project in history, so no homework there either! Go me! ^_^)

            I don't own Inuyasha…I do, however, own this box of Nilla Wafers that I'm snacking on right now…mmmmm….Nilla Wafers….

Chapter 25

            Blood pooled around Rin's body, soaking her kimono, seeping into the ground, quenching the thirsty ground as it fled from her body. Tiny rivulets seeped onto the fresh green grass, winding their way earthward, then hesitated for a moment before plunging to the ground with a sickening, _drip…drip…drip…_this is how Sesshoumaru found her: lifeless, warmth just leaving her body, eyes glassed over with fear still readable inside of him.

            His expression did not change, no sign of emotion flickered inside him as his eyes wandered over to Jaken, laying where he had fallen defending Rin; what was not readable, however, soon became palpable as a cold aura of fury began to spring up around him: barely felt at first, then becoming a slight tingling sensation, and then filling the woods, causing animals to scatter as he felt the Tenseiga pulsing at his side.

            Without any ceremony, he tore the sword from its scabbard; miniature oni became visible, hovering around Rin's body—three of them, exact duplicates of the ones he had seen when he first revived her. The Tenseiga swung in a glittering blue slash, and the sword that could revive a hundred fallen with a single stroke cleaved through the minor annoyances, simultaneously healing the gashes in Rin's side as breath rushed into her once more.

            She looked around, disoriented for a moment, until she saw the hem of the robes of her savior: none other than Lord Sesshoumaru.

            "SESSHOUMARU-SAMA!" Rin cried, grabbing a firm hold of his robes as she cried into them; and yet, if any were around to see his face—and close enough to look deeply into his eyes, for this was no great thing—a slight light flickered in his eyes as he placed his hand atop the young girl's head. Compassion was almost unknown to him, and it was still thus as he said, albeit softly,

            "Rin."

            Rin unburied her face from his robes, tears still streaming down her face, nose running as she sniffled, "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

            "Who did this?" he asked, aura flaring once more; Tenseiga sheathed, his hand now rested atop its polar opposite: the Toukijin.

            Rin shook her head as she sniffed, "Rin does not know, Sesshoumaru-sama…Rin has seen him before, but does not know his name: he had hair like Sesshoumaru-sama's, but he had different ears: like a puppy…"

            Sesshoumaru didn't say another word: he merely plucked Rin up, holding her in the crook of one arm, and began following the scent trail left by his filthy half-breed brother, leading off in a winding trail towards him; at the same time, Inuyasha and Kagome began walking towards he and Rin…

            Inuyasha walked beside Kagome, silent (for once in his life) as he began to lose himself in thought…well, he was silent except for the slurping of ramen noodles, anyhow (Kagome had given the instant ramen as a sort of peace offering, he'd been grumbling about the deer since they'd started moving again). She had to admit he looked really cute like this…golden eyes glowing with knowledge while he slurped his ramen (a/n: Hahaha, I can see this in my mind and it's kawaii as hell ^_^), deep pools of thought rippling like rings in a tide pool…

            Well, at least he _was_ cute, until he stopped gulping down his second noodle-cup mid _sluuuuuurp_ to find out why in the world Kagome was looking at him like that, hint of a blush tinting her cheeks.

            He turned to Kagome…

            _'Oh, great, here comes the "why in the hell were you looking at me like that, bitch!?" speech…' _she grumbled.

            …opened his mouth…

            _'Yep, here it comes.'_

"What in the world are you staring at?"

            Kagome simultaneously face-faulted, sweatdropped, and fell to the ground, leaving a very confused Inuyasha blinking stupidly, sweatdropping and thinking,

            _'Why the hell did she just do a perfect imitation of me getting sat?'_

            He heaved a sigh, reached down, and plucked Kagome off the ground. Grabbing her backpack from her, instead wrapping it around his own shoulder, he tossed Kagome over his shoulder and bounded up into the trees amid half-delighted, half-highly angry screams from Kagome, such as, "_aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAH! _Inuyasha just what do you think you're doing!?" as he leapt above the forest, golden sun flashing about them as a gentle breeze blew back their hair; silver mane and raven feathers intertwined as Inuyasha smirked and simply said,

            "We'll move a lot quicker if you don't try to do impersonations of me being sat."

            Kagome laughed, caught up in the adrenaline rush as sky swept her away from the ground, green earth mixing, melding, molding to the blue of the sky as she tried to shift and get a more comfortable position.

            Although the chances of Inuyasha or Kagome admitting it were about as slim as Naraku giving Kikyo a great big hug, both he and her had been doing this more often: they tried to get the other close, creating special moments, and just being near the other…all without the other knowing, of course. It was kind of immature in a way, a game at times, yet a lifeline at others, as each of the two was unable and unwilling to drop their emotional shields and do what each wanted the other desperately to do…

            It was with the thought of Kagome that Inuyasha's nose was stopped; hearing was deafened to all save the sound of her voice, otherwise he may have heard his brother approach. He may have heard the sound of a sword being drawn, could have avoided the blistering wave of energy that lanced out from the forest below as it destroyed the tree he had intended to be his next foothold in he and Kagome's journey through the forest.

            As it was, he heard the hissing of raw power as it sliced through the tree he was nearly atop of, but was too far down to change direction. An explosion surmounted the area, hurling both he and Kagome back as the tree released the Toukijin's pent-up energy in the form of a blast.

            He instinctively reached up to shield himself, but thought won over instinct as he instead shielded Kagome, taking the full brunt as he fell to the ground. Hitting the ground, nearly unfazed by the fall (he was, after all, a hanyou), he released Kagome, checking her for wounds (and finding nothing) before he turned to face the foe.

            For what felt like the millionth time since they'd departed on their solitary journey, the Tetsuaiga tore out of its sheathe and exploded in a cone of yellow energy as the great fang took shape; holding the sword, equal parts he and father, he was more than ready to take on any adversary that dared threaten the life of he, not to mention his mate.

            Smell, however, gave away the identity far before sight could: the overpowering scent of blood and leaves, moon and starlight, invaded the clearing even as Inuyasha snarled out the name of he and Kagome's attacker,

            "Sesshoumaru…"

            "So, the great child-killer will face his punishment like a man," Sesshoumaru spoke, every trace of emotion gone from him as he held the Toukijin at the ready, blue sparks flying and meeting wind as he narrowed his gaze at the filthy half-demon blighting the earth in front of him.

            (A/N: Most of the time I would end the story here, but since you all wanted it longer, I'll try to go a little bit longer)

            Inuyasha stepped back, while Kagome's visage revealed horror and mirrored the shock that was now igniting every nerve ending in Inuyasha's body as he yelled, "Child-killer!? What the hell are you talking about, Fluffy?"

            (A/N: I've given Sesshoumaru the handy-dandy ability to make clothing, so nobody pop up and say, "Wait a second! Rin's going around naked!?" or, "Where did she get another kimono!?")

            Not a word was spoken by Sesshoumaru; reaching into some unknowable place in his billowing robes, he withdrew a kimono—fit for a nine-year-old, a vague pattern of cherry blossoms on it, ripped and torn, and stained with blood and the scent of…

            _'Myself?'_ Inuyasha recoiled in surprise inside his own mind as his own scent wafted up towards him from the bloodstained kimono, and even the trace amounts of youki that remained in the clothing were like his…almost…

            "Inuyasha did _not_ attack that little girl, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said in a soft yet commanding voice as she took her stance up beside her boyfriend (for lack of a better word). "He was with me the entire day, the only time he left was to hunt for us, and there certainly wasn't enough time for even a demon to cover the distance between us, brutally murder a young girl, wash off the blood, and return; and besides that, Inuyasha would _never_ do that!"

            Sesshoumaru leveled the sword at Kagome, and a flash of his old personality shone brightly for a moment as he spoke,

            "Human, don't try to cover for this pitiful half-breed. I could smell his reek all over the two he killed, I could taste his stench following him here. Don't tell me lies when I can see the truth as plain as day."

            Inuyasha growled, a deep, throaty growl rumbling his chest as his youkai blood fought to rise against the barrier of the Tetsuaiga; blood boiling, heart pounding, ears ringing, he rushed forward faster than even Sesshoumaru thought possible, swinging Tetsuaiga in an arc, knocking aside the Toukijin and following through by landing a hard left to his half-brother's face, snarling,

            "Don't you _ever_ threaten Kagome again!"

            Knocked back a few paces, the youkai raised his pale hand to his pale face, wiping blood from his cut lip as his eyes began to glow red, maintaining the cool composure as hate raged within, and felt the Toukijin pulse in his hand, the vassal of his rage.

            This is how Naraku's plan began, as all his other contrived schemes had: the manipulation of others, pitting one against the other, body and soul, weakening them until he swooped in for the kill.

            Brothers and miko alike did not notice the small insect sitting on a nearby tree, watching the brother's battle begin, and waiting for the chance to summon Naraku to claim the winner as his own...

            Yes, yes, I know, another evil cliffhanger; sorry, but I can't keep writing tonight: I got three and a half hours sleep last night…gah…well, thanks to everyone who reviewed today, this doubles the record set yesterday! (Almost three new pages of reviews were added today…sweet!) And you can hate me if you want to for this cliffhanger, I'll care tomorrow but I don't right now…sorry…-_-


	28. Ribyuu Resuponso San

Woot! Somewhere around 281 reviews! Sorry about the cliffhanger from last night, I try not to leave them, but my mind was shutting down last night: on the plus side, we have this stupid STAR-9 testing in school, so I get to get about an hour and a half more of sleep (we have three hours to do it, most of the time everybody finishes halfway through that.more sleep! Yay!)! Speaking of, "Yay!" it's time for more review responses! Diablo: No, I'm not a guy.I've been fooling you for the whole duration of the series! HAHAHAHA! Lol, just kidding.yes, last time I checked I'm still a guy.::glances nervously down:: yep, still a guy! ^_^0 Anonymous: Yeah, I know he'd probably figure it out, but hey: my fic, my rules, plus you may have already made a connection in your mind to how it works in my story.if not, uh, I didn't say anything.hahaha. Silverstarlight: Lol, Fluffy-sama just sounds so funny. Lindy*girl: Even if Sesshoumaru noticed that the scent of Rin wasn't on Inuyasha (he was pissed that Rin and Jaken were both killed, and though he's calm on the outside I'd wager he's seriously pissed on the inside), he may have just been looking for an excuse to kill Inuyasha (not likely, but still: he may have just wanted to lash out at someone). As for Inuyasha and Kagome knowing Naraku can change into anybody, they do know that, but Sesshoumaru doesn't, and at this point he most likely wouldn't believe them (plus now that Inuyasha thinks Sesshoumaru threatened Kagome, he'd be more pissed and less likely to tell him). Peacemaker: Don't hate yourself because you found it today: quite the contrary, I prefer to find good fiction after it's gotten along/been completed (that's most of the fiction I read, I normally don't read anything under 10,000 words because I don't like stuff being that short; but sometimes something will catch my eye and I'll decide to read it), but to each his own: you can be mad at yourself, but at least you get to read a lot ^_^. Sangami: I wouldn't call it a record amount (Time for a Change has 1300.THAT'S a record.), but yeah: I appreciate everybody whose reviewed and encouraged me to keep going, and hopefully I'll hit the 300 mark tomorrow or the day after ^_^. Jen: Yes, I love Linkin Park.there's not a song by them I don't like that I've heard (I haven't listened to Reanimation, yet; but I LOVE Hybrid Theory and Meteora). Well, here's the review responses: story's coming right up! 


	29. Inuyasha, motto tsuyoku ni natte iru! In...

Chapter 26

            Hey, I just get right to the action this time (aside from the disclaimer: I don't own Sesshoumaru, Rin, Jaken, Kouga, Kouga's pals, Ayume, Shippou, Sango, Miroku, Kaede, Kikyo, or anyone else on Inuyasha!). Haha, thought I'd forget to mention I don't own Inuyasha, didn't you!? Wait a second…::smacks head::

            Shine: Pronounced Shi Neh, means, "Die."

            Heats thudded, blood rushing through ears, roaring like the crashing foam of waterfalls as the two stood, glaring at each other: one with cold, silent fury; one with red, glowing rage shining through his eyes. 

            Both stood, still as statues; silent as stone, each waiting for the other to make the first move, each waiting for the chance to draw first blood…

            "Sesshoumaru! Inuyasha! Knock it off, Inuyasha didn't do…" She started, but was cut off as Sesshoumaru bounded forward: Inuyasha's eyes had shifted towards his mate's voice, and that brief distraction was exactly what his half-brother had been waiting for.

            Caught off guard, Inuyasha was only able to raise the Tessaiga in a partial block, deflecting the eviscerating stroke that Sesshoumaru had intended, but still putting a good-sized slash in the arm of his red haori. Not bothering to contemplate what should be done next, he swung Tetsuaiga around, inscribing a semicircle in the air, at the youkai currently flying by him, momentum from his stroke still carrying him forward.

            Toukijin blocked Tetsuaiga, and both swords sang as metal clashed with a resounding ring; quick as lightning, both combatants yanked their swords away from the other and stabbed again, sword deflecting sword and another protesting cry of the metal sounding before the first had dissipated.

            Kagome watched numbly as the fight raged on, swords flashing in glittering arcs, light playing madly upon the swords as each sought to find flesh to cleave. It was only a matter of time before one of them lost their patience and…

            "KAZE NO KIZU!" Inuyasha roared, leaping back from the fray and unleashing the Wound of the Wind upon a grounded Sesshoumaru, only to be amazed as the Toukijin sliced right through it—with obvious difficulty, but it had cut the Kaze no Kizu!

            "My turn," Sesshoumaru breathed as he swung the Toukijin once more, and a bolt of crackling blue energy raced towards the airborne figure of Inuyasha.

            "KUSO!" He cried, swinging the Tetsuaiga down into a defensive position, holding it steady against the barrage of the Toukijin's attack; energy spilled to both sides, crackling bolts of energy shooting to Inuyasha's sides as he placed his death grip on the hilt, then swung the sword and flung the whole damn thing into the forest.

            _'Great. Just great. I was hoping the Toukijin wasn't a match for the Tetsuaiga, but guess I was wrong…CHIKUSHO! I could do the Bakuryuuha, but I don't want to kill the bastard, I just want to…'_

His thought process stopped dead in its tracks as he realized what he'd just thought: he didn't want to kill Sesshoumaru. Had said demon given him a moment's rest, Inuyasha would have hit _himself_ in the head with his Tetsuaiga: why, of all times, had his lack of desire to kill his brother chosen to surface _NOW_!? The ONE TIME where he might need to kill his brother in self-defense, and he didn't want to!

            Unfortunately for Inuyasha, and fortunately for the Tetsuaiga/his skull, his brother didn't give him time to do his job for him: leaping airborne, he cleared the Tetsuaiga and kicked his younger half-brother straight in the jaw; foot ground against tooth as Inuyasha began to spiral backwards, and injury was added to injury as the Toukijin was swung again, finding its mark on Inuyasha's exposed back and sending him hurtling into a tree, full-force.

            Moving with speed greater than he had ever shown before, Sesshoumaru flew forward and jammed the Toukijin straight into Inuyasha's back, sending a river of blood down his back and front alike as it painted the front of the tree red. Ripping the sword mercilessly out of his back, Sesshoumaru prepared to deliver the fatal strike to Inuyasha's exposed chest.

            Blood streamed down Inuyasha front and back, coughing brought up flecks of it as chest and back alike burned, yet still he attempted to rise. Sesshoumaru smirked, seeming as if his face were about to crack from this small show of emotion, and swung the sword in an earthward rush, growling,

            "_Shine._" 

            Acting with the strength given by pain-induced fury ringing his brain bloody, Inuyasha kicked the sword to one side. The killing stroke went wide, cutting a chasm in the ground as Inuyasha coiled his back muscles and sprung; launching himself feet-first from the ground at Sesshoumaru's chest, his maneuver was well-placed on an unprepared opponent.

            Sesshoumaru tumbled backwards, rear end making contact with the ground as the full weight of an angry hanyou compressed his ribcage, and began smashing it as he leapt gracefully off and twisted midair to land behind his brother. Advantage seized, upper hand gained, he grinned as the sword pulsed in his hand, blade staining a dark red even as he watched.

            The red Tetsuaiga was no longer used for merely breaking barriers: it was used for battle.

            Thrusting the sword downwards from heavens above to come to rest on the ground less than ten feet from Sesshoumaru's head, the ground veritably exploded as azure energy burst forth from crimson blade, connecting dead-on with its target.

            The target swung his sword behind his head, driving it into the earth betwixt his head and the attack; using the same support, he threw himself off the ground, using Toukijin as a pole vault, and watched impassively as the tree soaked in Inuyasha's blood took the full brunt of the Kaze no Kizu and burst asunder.

            Sword met sword again as Sesshoumaru thrust his sword down once more; swords screamed that same high-pitched ring as blades collided, power sparked from each as anger-infused visage met cold emptiness. Wind swirled around Tetsuaiga; jaki surmounted the edges of Toukijin, and bolts of power decimated the ground upon which they stood.

            "It's funny, _brother_," Inuyasha hissed, spitting the last word as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth. "It seems the Great Lord Sesshoumaru, apple of his father's eye, powerful, mighty, has finally met an equal."

            No change arose in Sesshoumaru's visage, but the aura of anger that had henceforth gone unnoticed arose once more with a vengeance as the sting of Inuyasha's words hit home.

            "And you know who the equal is?" Inuyasha grinned, winds wrapping around the Tetsuaiga, spinning in a cyclonic frenzy around the blade as it sought to overpower the reek of jaki seeping from the Toukijin. "His no good_…_"

            Groans of straining metal could be heard from both Tetsuaiga and Toukijin as both masters called upon every ounce of their youkai might to shatter the other's blade.

            "_Half-breed…_"

            Toukijin took on a crimson glow, as if sensing Sesshoumaru's growing rage, barely contained beneath his calm exterior.

            "_HANYOU BROTHER!_" Inuyasha roared, the combined might of he and Tetsuaiga's fury shoving the Toukijin back, leaving Inuyasha free to slash his brother's chest with the Sankon Tessou, but catching a returning strike of his brother's poison claws in retaliation.

            Red lines, tinted with the green of his brother's poison, lay across Inuyasha's cheek; red lines rimmed with his own youki lay across his brother's chest. Inuyasha was injured far worse than Sesshoumaru, but he couldn't help but grin as he saw the claw-marks stretching across his brother's chest.

            He was his brother's equal; a hanyou, said to be pitied, weak, gifted only with a sword, was his youkai brother's equal.

            Hey, an entire chapter devoted to a fight scene…I'm surprised I could keep it up for so long ^_^. I'd write some more, but I feel that this is a good place to sign off for tonight and finish up the rest tomorrow. Well, as always, please review, and if you have any ideas/threats/want something translated into Japanese/fight scene requests/romance scene requests/poetry requests/death wishes (er…scratch that last one…) just let me know in your review and I'll do anything I can to help! Oh, btw: with this chapter I've broken another 10,000 word mark, the 40,000 word mark! Only 10,000 more to go until I hit 50,000! ^_^


	30. Bakuryuuha o Tsukwanakereba Narimasen ka...

            EVIL LAUGH! Sorry, I just felt like doing that…

            Well, here's Chapter 27, I don't really have much to say in the beginning anymore…except for I've found another song that characterizes Inuyasha: "Take it All Away" (theme song to _A Man Apart_)…I really like the song, and I may be giving away too much, but it will tie in later in the story…that's all I'm going to say! ::Whips out uberly cool katana and glances around nervously::

            Dragonfly Angle: He may live, he may not…you'll just have to find out for yourself ^_^. Sorry, but I don't like giving away hints of my story (which is funny because I'm the kind of guy that you can tell me exactly what happens in a movie and I'll still enjoy the movie as if I hadn't seen it before)…in addition to the fact it's not as much fun for you, some people wouldn't like seeing the hint plastered before the story…sorry ^_^.

            Eartha: No, I didn't forget about Jaken: I just couldn't figure out a good way to write in him being revived by Sesshoumaru…I actually like Jaken, so I can't have him dead forever, now can I? He was revived when Sesshoumaru left to find Inuyasha (imagine Sesshoumaru storming by him, whipping out Tenseiga and slashing the oni, then Jaken standing up, confused, and running after him screaming, "SESSHOUMARU SAMA! MATTE KUDASAI! (PLEASE WAIT!)"

            Anonymous: Thanks, not to sound self-absorbed but I really like it too ^_^.

            Youkai Chick Supreme: No, I'm not a surfer boy…I want to try to surf, but news flash to everyone whose not from California: all of California isn't like south California around San Diego and stuff…it's actually cold and rainy and sleety most of the winter; even now it's still cold, cloudy, and it's supposed to rain tonight, and I don't surf ^_^. 

            If you want to call me surfer boy, no problem; as a general rule, I don't really answer to nicknames when spoken aloud (the sole exceptions are Shirtless Samurai and Kaminari; Kaminari because it's my name in my Japanese class, Shirtless Samurai because when I got my katana I wasn't wearing a shirt and my friends decided to tease me about looking like a samurai with no shirt).

            BurningBritelyOne: Yeah, I know that I've kind of neglected Kagome, I'm gonna try to write her into fight scenes more often now, though, because I too like her fighting in the anime (but then again she hasn't really had a chance: Sesshoumaru's kind of Inuyasha's fight alone, Onigumo trapped her in the cocoon, and Kouga was competition for Inuyasha)…I wrote it into the chapter where she and Inuyasha were fighting together, but she'll have her day, don't worry…

            Sammy: Thanks for the praise, and it's no problem about the translations: I find myself hard-pressed _not_ to write them, actually, unless I forget like I did with 'nete' ^_^0

            Chibi-Kagome: I'm writing it like I think it would happen in the series; they will eventually get closer, it's just not going to happen right away…they will, however! SO SAYS I! ::thrusts katana up towards ceiling::

            Methinks I've had too much sugar, and should really sheathe my sword before I hurt myself/my poor ceiling…::sheathes katana:: And without further delay, minus the disclaimer (sigh, as always!) here's the story!

            I want to own Inuyasha, but Miss Takahashi turned me down on my offer of a sandwich _

Chapter 27

            Both brothers stood, spilling blood from their respective wounds; Sesshoumaru's chest and stomach bleeding and burning from the youki of Inuyasha's energy; Inuyasha, vision slightly blurred and body burning as even the tiny dose of poison he had received began to work its way into his system.

            "Listen, Sesshoumaru! It wasn't Inuyasha that attacked Rin—he was with me all day yesterday!" Kagome shouted. "It was probably Naraku wearing the guise of Inuyasha—you don't know Naraku, he can change to the appearance of any person!"

            Sesshoumaru's eyes didn't even flicker in Kagome's direction, trained on Inuyasha who was staring back at him with equal, although more readable, emotion.

            "This is just like how he tricked Inuyasha and Kikyo, he manipulates everyone around him to get what he wants! You're both probably falling right into one of his traps!!!"

            "He may be able to duplicate forms, but he cannot possibly duplicate scents well enough to trick me," Sesshoumaru said, no part of his figure moving. "I know the half-breed's scent better than anyone, and there was no mistaking the trail I followed back here."

            For a second—a brief, dark moment—a shadow of doubt passed over Kagome, condemning Inuyasha…but just as quickly the dark seed of suspicion was gone: this was Inuyasha she was talking about! He couldn't have killed Rin for no reason at all…he'd been gone a long time with the deer, yes, but he wouldn't be able to wield the Tetsuaiga if he didn't care for humans!

            Mentally berating herself for even doubting him for a second, she turned to scream at Sesshoumaru, but was too late—the sound of ringing metal had begun once more, and Kagome merely sighed as she wished with all her might that Sesshoumaru had a copy of Inuyasha's rosary beads…

            Inuyasha, meanwhile, was beginning to have a rough time fighting Sesshoumaru: the youkai toxin had fully worked its way into his system and was slowly beginning to cut his speed, blur his vision, sap his strength…all of which was being cancelled out, for the moment, by his rock-hard determination to once and for all beat the hell out of his bastard brother—sword clashed sword, metal ground metal, as the two blades met once again, and just as quickly spinning around to meet again…

            Until Inuyasha, displaying a presence of mind that most would think impossible for him, swept the Toukijin to the side and down as he spun around, catching Sesshoumaru in the face with a solid foot and sending him reeling back.

            Charging in, ignoring the venom's fire eating away at his body, he thrust the Tetsuaiga in a straight line at Sesshoumaru's chest; rolling away from the attack, Sesshoumaru leapt up and swung Toukijin in a horizontal arc, and steel met bone as Inuyasha's upper arm stopped the blade from slicing cleanly through it—but leaving a slice half an inch deep in his arm. Tearing Toukijin from the already-gaping wound, Sesshoumaru released a blast of energy as sword exited wound, turning the clean cut into a bloody maw that was instantly cauterized by the heat of the blast.

            Going on the defensive, trying to back away, Inuyasha was faced with the realization that he may have to unleash the might of the Bakuryuuha on Sesshoumaru to walk away from this fight alive—an idea that was, not surprisingly, far more appealing than it had been a few minutes ago. Unfortunately for Inuyasha, his foe was not giving him time to retreat and recoup: diving in like a raptor, sword stroke after sword stroke aiming for Inuyasha's injured body, blood streaming from his chest/back wound and arm, the fight was beginning to grow a little desperate.

            _'Can't…keep…going…like this…,' _Inuyasha panted to himself, breath becoming more and more ragged as he was forced to either dodge or die; not seeing any opening that could possibly open up his going on the offensive—or any opening _period_, for that matter. 

            It was time for a risky move, and nothing is more dangerous in a sword fight than raising your sword to the sky and leaving yourself wide open to attack—unfortunately, this was just what Inuyasha was forced to do: Toukijin's strokes, glancing off the Tetsuaiga, were dispelling the winds that were trying to form the Wound of the Wind around the sword.  

            Inuyasha raised the sword to the heavens with his wounded arm, ignoring the agonizing hurt flowing from the wound as winds began wrapping around the sword once more, and thinking his victory seized, Sesshoumaru sliced in a horizontal arc, attempting to behead Inuyasha and end their brotherly war once and for all.

            Haori offering some protection, though not much in the face of a sword as powerful as the Toukijin, Inuyasha raised his forearm up to take the blow; a _KRACCKK _was heard as Toukijin met nearly solid bone, but didn't cut through, thanks to the haori—but Inuyasha was now powerless to stop as the Toukijin once more released its pent up energy and shredded not only his haori, but his unwounded arm as well.

            But that was all the time he needed to buy: the winds were complete, and Inuyasha's dangerous move had saved him; with a smug grin on his face, two wounded arms gripping the Tetsuaiga, Inuyasha swung the sword down with all his force, screaming, "KAZE NO KIZU!" as if his very life depended on it—which it did.

            Sesshoumaru saw the mistake far too late, and barely managed to raise the Toukijin in time to block it: but as Inuyasha's was earlier, so was this only a partial block: the Wound of the Wind streamed through the Toukijin's protection, blasting Sesshoumaru not at full force—but close—as he was thrown back into the forest, the wind knocked out of his mighty chest.

            Streaming blood from countless wounds, torn flesh flapping in the wind, Inuyasha's indecision fell from him: he was going to die if he didn't use the Bakuryuuha, his damn brother had started this, and he, for one, sure as hell wasn't going to lose a quarrel he'd had no part in.

            With this in mind, Inuyasha watched the direction his brother had been knocked into, and concentrated…mind, body, and soul becoming one as he listened, tasted, smelt the youki flowing from his brother, just as he could feel his own growing as it reached out, searching, and—in a brief moment—finding the edge of Sesshoumaru's youki as he rushed back to the campsite.

            Face wrung in concentration, Inuyasha tried to find that one spot among the clashing youki—the weak point, the flaw, the Wound of the Bakuryuuha, if you will. 

            And he found it, just as his brother burst into the clearing, eyes flaming red as he fought the call to transform into his youkai form, since doing so would certainly mean death. It was with this in mind that Sesshoumaru burst into Inuyasha's line of view, and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw what his hanyou brother had waiting for him there…a power greater than the likes of any the world had seen before, an energy that had carved the great Ryuukotsusei into bite-sized chunks of dragon flesh, a strength that the Toukijin had no answer to: an attack named in the scream that now tore from Inuyasha's throat.

            "**_BAKURYUUHA!!!!!!!_**"

            Well, you'll have to wait tomorrow to see my description of the Bakuryuuha: I need sleepy now, I'm not nearly as hyper as I was when I started the review responses a few hours ago…bleh…but oh well, you'll get to read it tomorrow: same place, same time!

            As always, please read and **REVIEW**, since I'm only five **REVIEWS** away from hitting 300 **REVIEWS** ^_^0. Thanks!__


	31. Sesshoumaru wa shinde iru ka? Is Sesshou...

            Before I start on my story, I've got several things to say, first of which is for Gods' sakes, read and review Family Reunions and TransPossessing by Inuficcrzy: it's a very good and original storyline, 29,000 words, it's been out more than two months longer than mine, but it's only got 37 reviews: come on, people!

            And I'd like to say that Kagome _does_ trust Inuyasha: even if you trust someone a lot, you still have that seed of doubt in you (I mean, look at what it was like before Kikyo died…Kagome had a lot of doubt about Inuyasha choosing her or Kikyo, doubted herself and Inuyasha, etc)

            Speaking of reviews, I'd like to thank either Youkai Chick Supreme or NightRain for giving me my 300th review ::does happy dance::; thank you very much, that's about ten times more (literally) than I ever expected to get!

            BurningBritelyOne: Unlike Kikyo, Sesshoumaru can never die! BWA HA HA! Well…maybe he can, but I'll never tell ^_-. He will get hurt, I guarantee that…nobody, not even him, can walk away from the Bakuryuuha unscathed…

            Nightrain: You confused me when you said "how'd you get from here to there?"…well, at least now I know what happened to you, lol.

            RogueSaiyajin: I stopped there because I was sleepy and needed to finish the last two problems on my math homework, lol…the creative juices are flowing tonight so it should be longer than normal, and also, if it shapes up the way it is in my mind right now, the plot will actually advance in this chapter…

            Badgerwolf: Yes, it would be hilarious if he did…I could imagine Inuyasha being the one to hold the keyword ^_^…visions of, "FLUFFY! LAY DOWN!" come to mind…lmao.

            Sylver-Adjah: It's funny, too much detail was actually one of my biggest problems when I started thinking, hey: I can write somewhat decently! I'd write stories that were too much detail, and it took a while to break that habit…but thanks for the compliment, I really appreciate it ^_^

            Sammy: My katana's not actually one meant for fighting, as such it's a little heavier than other swords and a little more unwieldy, but the answer is, no: it's not hard to wield (for me at least). It's actually fairly light and easy to maneuver, which is very cool.

            Oh well, on with the third part of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's battles…let me impress again, however: read Family Reunions and TransPosessing, a story that good with so much time and effort put into it deserves a lot more than 37 reviews…

            I don't own Inuyasha, but I've come to the conclusion that possessions aren't everything…::snorts and bursts into laughter:: (j/p about this last thing; I'm not really a materialistic person…), and ps: I decided to add a little before adding the part from last chapter ^_^

Chapter 28

            _Energy crackled, swirled, and spun at the collision of the two fields of youki, and Inuyasha searched the collision field for a certain point…a point where lightning flashed and thunder crackled, the weak point of one's youki—the place where the Bakuryuuha could be formed._

_            And he found it, just in time, as well—Sesshoumaru burst into the clearing, eyes flaming red as he fought the call to transform into his youkai form (to do so would mean certain death, as he would not be able to wield the Toukijin). It was with this in mind that Sesshoumaru speeded towards Inuyasha, and just as quickly his eyes widened in surprise as he saw what his hanyou brother had waiting for him there…a power greater than the likes of any the world had seen before, an energy that had carved the great Ryuukotsusei into bite-sized chunks of dragon flesh, a strength that the Toukijin had no answer to: an attack now named in the scream that tore from Inuyasha's throat._

_            "**BAKURYUUHA!!!!!!!**"_

            "KAGOME! GET AWAY!" Inuyasha roared in the same breath, bringing down the sword with all his might as he watched Kagome begin to scramble away; and he smiled as he saw surprise, and—could it be?—a tint of fear run through Sesshoumaru's eyes as he tried to answer the Tetsuaiga with the Toukijin. It was impossible, however, to oppose the Bakuryuuha, and the final blast of energy cut under the Bakuryuuha and struck Inuyasha in the legs, striking a final, painful wound upon Inuyasha as the energy of the attack encased both of them.

            From inside their shell of energy, Inuyasha watched in grim fascination as Sesshoumaru's own powerful youki began to turn on him, empowered further by the terrifying might of the Tetsuaiga as it unleashed an angry roar, even as Tenseiga began pulsing at Sesshoumaru's side…

            Tendrils of energy snaked from above, expanding, swirling, and changing into the cyclones of energy that had ripped Ryuukotsusei apart, limb by limb; Sesshoumaru tried to knock these cyclones off course, to strike back at them with the might of his Toukijin, but it was of little use: he may as well have been trying to fight his own youki.

            The cyclones closed in upon him, roaring as they spun in a killing frenzy around Sesshoumaru's body, drawing tighter and tighter, and Sesshoumaru released an angry snarl as they impacted—and Inuyasha had to shield his eyes as flashes like lightning surrounded his brother, striking down to stab the ground; and then, with a tremendous explosion that hurled Kagome (who was now more than fifty yards away from the battlefield, and pausing as she tried to see the two fight) an additional twenty back, the fight was won by Inuyasha.

            He felt a sense of pride as he propped himself up on the Tetsuaiga, the amount of blood he had lost making him weak and dizzy as he waited for the debris to clear so he could see the fragments of his brother's body…his youkai brother, who had scorned and taunted him since his birth, had been defeated by what he said was an inferior half-breed. Inuyasha grinned at this, thinking to himself, _'Guess what Sesshoumaru? I WIN!'_

            Inuyasha didn't bother to trek the distance between he and Kagome: he could smell that she had spilled no blood, both inside and out, and he could hear her grumbling about, _'…that damn Inuyasha could have warned me sooner…'_, and instead walked slowly and unsteadily forward. The dust was settling, and he fully expected to see his brother's body, lying in a hundred pieces that were scattered around the clearing or, at the very least, horribly mangled. 

            What he saw took his breath away: he was still alive! Badly injured from the Bakuryuuha, nearly unconscious, blood streaming from a million different cuts, what looked like a broken leg—but still alive!

            _'HOW COULD HE SURVIVE!?!?!' _Inuyasha yelled inside his mind. _'THAT ATTACK CARVED RYUUKOTSUSEI INTO PIECES SMALLER THAN MY HAND—HOW THE FUCK DID IT NOT DESTROY MY BROTHER!?"_

            "What are you waiting for, half-breed?" Sesshoumaru growled, though his words no longer contained any threat: he could barely move, let alone kill somebody else. "Go ahead and finish off Lord Sesshoumaru," he spat in a mocking tone.

            Inuyasha looked at his sword, winds and electricity snapping around the blade as he shifted his gaze to his brother, and raised his sword…then promptly sheathed it , returning it to its normal state as he knelt next to his brother and grabbed him by the collar, hefting him up and looking him straight into the eyes as he growled out what he hoped would be the last words he ever spoke to his brother.

            "Listen, bastard: I beat you this time, and I could kill you right now if I wanted to. But guess what: I'm not going to, and do you want to know why? Because it would be stupid of me to kill someone who might be able to take down Naraku should I die, that's it; nothing more. I don't ever want to speak to you again, I don't want you to come after me, I don't want you to come after Kagome, and if you do I swear to whatever Gods in heaven and hell there are that I'll unleash Bakuryuuha on you again next time, and this time make sure you don't survive it. Got that?"

            Sesshoumaru didn't say anything, he just stared grimly into Inuyasha's eyes as he saw them nearly brim over with hate, and felt insult add itself to injury as Inuyasha threw shoved his head and chest back into the ground none-too-gently, got up unsteadily, and walked away, wounds healing even as he walked away.

            "Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, running into the clearing as she saw how badly he had been wounded by Sesshoumaru, and gasped as he pretty much collapsed on top of her: though Sesshoumaru's last attack had been unable to match the power of the Tetsuaiga, it had crippled Inuyasha's legs, and they were in a bad shape as of now: they didn't know how far away the next town was, and Kagome was going to have to load Inuyasha onto the back of her bike to take him there. "Hang on, Inuyasha…," Kagome whispered, laying him gently on the ground as she ran to grab her bike.

            Gone less than five seconds, Kagome returned with her huge yellow backpack bouncing cheerfully upon its grave owner's back, bike in tow as she tried to heft a nearly-unconscious, poisoned, and wounded Inuyasha onto her bike. Needless to say, it was not an easy task, but she eventually managed to get him in a semi-sitting position, head and body draped against her backpack as he wrapped his arms around her stomach, and she rode off into the bright sunlight in search of the next town…

            _'It can't be that far, right?'_ Kagome thought to herself nervously.

            Half an hour later, Sesshoumaru was waiting patiently, silently contemplating his defeat by his brother…rage growing as he realized he'd been thoroughly beaten…and then an epiphany as the Tenseiga pulsed at his side, it's gentle motion soothing the glowing pain of his wounds.

            _'That's why father gave me the Tenseiga…'_ Sesshoumaru thought to himself, realization dawning. _'That half-breed can't kill me with the Tetsuaiga, but I cannot harm him with the Tenseiga…it's a balance, a mechanism used to keep Inuyasha and I from killing each other.' _He snorted in derision inside his own head as he continued. _'You were wiser than I thought, father…but still: why did you give _him_ the Tetsuaiga when I already knew it's full power? Why not give the one with the soft heart the sword of healing?'_

            Unfortunately, that's all Sesshoumaru managed to think: as he thought the last line, he became aware of a sudden presence in the clearing around him…a smell that he remembered, had loathed since it had betrayed him…and the voice that accompanied that smell spoke out next to him as he tried to turn his head to look him in the face.

            "You," Sesshoumaru growled, eyes flashing red as he futilely tried to summon the strength to transform into his demon form, to rid himself of this damn nuisance…but the strength refused to answer his call.

"I was going to absorb for the winner, Lord Sesshoumaru," Naraku sneered, bowing mockingly as he laughed at the fallen demon. "But I think I'll settle for the gallant loser…that annoying Inuyasha has his little miko friend with him, and it would be quite troublesome should she choose to defend him…"

            He paused, grinding his foot into Sesshoumaru's hand as it twitched, reaching for the Toukijin, and continued, "Tsk tsk tsk, Sesshoumaru…that would ruin all my hard work and planning, and we can't have that, now can we?"

            He laughed, long and slowly, as he opened the folds of his kimono and dropped his shirt to the ground. Spider-shaped burn pulsing hideously, glowing gold in the hot sunlight, tentacles of flesh tore forward, stabbing their way into Sesshoumaru's chest, and began draining the life from him…firm, taught muscle melted, ran like molasses…tight skin withered and shriveled as the very blood was sucked from his body, youki fusing with Naraku as he laughed loudly, feeling his features assume those of Sesshoumaru…black hair lightened, little by little, until silver hair flashed in the sunlight.

            Black eyes glowed as liquid amber found their way into them, and Naraku could feel his fingernails shooting out into long, tearing claws—all the while Sesshoumaru shriveled, aged, grew more and more decrepit until, finally, Naraku's flesh wrapped around him in a tight cocoon and pulled him into his body.

            Naraku's laugh approached maniacal as he could feel the might—the awesome, nigh-unparalleled might!—flowing from Sesshoumaru's body into his own; strength doubling, tripling, growing at a fantastical rate as he could feel the youkai—not a drop of human—blood surging through his veins…

            The first part of Naraku's plan was complete.

            Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru's plight unbeknownst to Inuyasha and Kagome, the couple had found a village, much to Kagome's delight and, for some strange reason, Inuyasha's distress: he was fighting her, struggling tooth and nail (well, more like protesting loudly and threatening), to go onto the next village, but Kagome wouldn't hear of it.

            "Inuyasha, you're hurt very badly, and I'm not risking you dieing trying to go to the next town when there's a village right here!"

            "I am NOT going to come crawling into this village, wounded and begging for help!" Inuyasha said back, what little strength he have starting to leave him as vision slid out of focus despite all his efforts to stay focused and argue going back into that village…

            He didn't want to come back to this village for a very good reason: this was where he had been born; had been raised; had been laughed at, taunted, teased, and discriminated against by human and demon alive…this was where his mother had died, the only person to have ever meant anything to him before Kagome and Kikyo, and blasted his life apart when he was 5. This is why he fought to leave, despite the fact that he couldn't stay conscious any longer…

            _'Well, he'll live…if he can still argue with that much strength there's no way he's going to die…and at least he's quiet, for now,' _Kagome thought, dismounting her bike and seeing what she could do about getting a loud-mouthed hanyou and herself a place to stay and heal. _'Sigh. This was SO much easier when Miroku was with us…'_

Well, what'd you think? Possibly my longest chapter ever, and I've still got a bunch more ideas locked inside my noggin…please read and **review**, I got I think 21 today and every one counts! ^_^ **Review** shite kudasai! Jaa, mata ne! 


	32. Inuyasha no Kuraikako Inuyasha's Dark P...

            Well, it's still midnight on Friday, so I decided to start to get to work on this, I doubt it'll be finished tonight, so no big deal…

            Oh, btw: I'd like to thank Nozomi for recommending me in her fic, What Could Be; I've never been recommended by an author b4 (if someone's recommended me before, Shitsurei Shimashita! ::bows low::) I'd suggest you guys go read it…if you like mine, you'll like hers ^_^. If you don't like mine, you should still go read hers…but why you'd be reading chapter 29 if you don't like my story is beyond me ^_^. Also: yes, Nozomi, thank you for not making me wait a week for one chapter…instead you made me wait a whole 2 days for two chapters ^_^.

            **ATTENTION: I am currently debating as to whether or not I want to add a lemon chapter to this story (it would be posted elsewhere as a different story, this idea was given to me by DracOnyx (thanks for the idea! Sorry if you're mad I'm using it…0^_^)), and please post in your review whether or not you want that…if I get enough support, I'll do it; if not, I'll just leave it as-is. Fair enough? ^_^**

            Time for some more review responses…bwa ha ha, 336…wow…thank you all _so_ much for encouraging me to go on and keep writing…I would've probably ended it by now if you hadn't ^_^.

            To everyone who hated me "killing" Sesshoumaru: don't worry, he's not gonna die…I really like Sesshoumaru, and it would be kind of inflicting pain on myself if I didn't make him come back, ne?

            BurningBritelyOne: Slight problem with the Tenseiga attacking Naraku is the fact it can't kill; if you think of the Toukijin, Naraku's evil jaki would probably overwhelm Sesshoumaru's on the sword, given the fact that Naraku's is now fused with Sesshoumaru's.

            Hypergrl: You never know what you're capable of…I never thought I could shoot down a German plane, but last year I proved myself wrong! (WARNING: BLATANT SIMPSONS RIP-OFF!!!) Seriously, though, just try writing…you can surprise yourself, I didn't expect this to be half as good/long, but here I am ^_^.

            Lady Yami: ::unsheathes katana and blocks attacks with blunt edge of sword while typing sporadically with one hand:: Hey, I like Sesshoumaru, it was either this or have the plot grow stagnant and old—this IS what I meant by Naraku's evil plan, ya know!

            Hikaru: Yes, you did tell me you changed your name to Hikaru…lol, it's pretty funny, because one of the guys in my Japanese class is named Hikaru, so I'll never forget your name…lol.

            Unfortunately, I'm not going to have it work that way with Naraku…he won't get any feelings of leniency/love towards Rin/protection of humans even though he constantly denies it that Sesshoumaru has; all he gets is Sesshoumaru's appearance/strength.

            Tiger of the Wind: Wow, I'm surprised so many people have read this in one sitting before…well, I'm not sure if Miroku and Sango will come back into action in this story (and no, I'm sorry, but they're not going to be playing any major role in this story, I decided from the onset this would be a purely Inuyasha and Kagome fic, written in the style I like: romance and fighting mixed in equal measure ^_^).

            Okaasan: Mother.

            Aenaku de sabishikatta yo, Inuyasha: I missed you, Inuyasha!

            Vive el hanashi! (Hey, three languages coupled into one sentence!) Before you ask: no, I don't own Inuyasha. I have never owned him, and my current plans of owning him aren't going that well, so I'm pretty much screwed in the area of owning him…

            Damn.

Chapter 29

            Darkness surrounded him. It was no slight darkness, like one would find in any advanced country, but a dark, inky blackness: a pitch darkness; the void of light one could find in a cave; the solid, unrelenting shadow of being buried alive.

            He was not in a grave, however: not yet, at any rate. He was, as far as he could tell, in an eternal void; nothingness spiraling away into forever; hearing, sight, and smell registering nothing as he floated, blind and deaf, waiting…waiting for he knew not what.

            There was no noise…not a sound—even its breathing—could be heard as she simply popped into view…and he could scarcely believe his eyes, taking in a woman sixty-five years dead…nose refusing to believe the fresh, beautiful smell of the first person who had ever cared for him, one of the few people who had ever attempted to protect him from the harsh world that surrounded him; she who had held him close, had nurtured him, had nursed wounds he had received from the prejudiced, pitiless children of the village…

            "O…okaasan?" Inuyasha whispered, not daring to believe it as eyes, nose, and heart both cried out for him to believe; a scent he had thought gone forever wafting to him, dancing upon the tip of his nose, a smell he had missed since he was a child of no more than five. "Okaasan?"

            "Inuyasha…," she whispered in return, arms wide open as she began running towards him—her son, the one she had missed most, longed to see with all her heart, in her long departure from this world; tear filled eyes spilled over, shining with joy as she rushed to comfort him, to tell him everything would be okay…to tell him she would never leave him again…

            Inuyasha leapt forward as well, wrapping his mother tightly in his grasp; no tears fell from his eyes, heart crying instead, and he vowed to never let her go again, to never lose her warmth…her care…her love ever again.

            "Aenaku de sabishikatta yo, Inuyasha!" His mother cried into his shoulder, losing all inhibition as she sobbed into the shoulder of the son she had watched go through the harsh trials of life, made all the worse because of his heritage; the few victories he had made, sharing in his happiness, wallowing in his despair, wishing with all her might that she had been able to help him…

            "Okaasan…," Inuyasha breathed, eyes snapping open as he stared at the ceiling of the hut, emotions frothing and boiling inside of him; burning his heart, scarring his insides, leaving him empty and charred from within as he realized that it had been nothing more than a dream.

            _'It is natural to dream of those we miss, ne?' _A little voice piped up inside of Inuyasha. _'Especially when we are so close to the place where we last saw them…'_

Inuyasha heaved a heavy sigh, wounds biting with especial venom over his body as bandage ground against raw, tender flesh as he attempted to roll over.

            "Hmph. Guess I have Kagome to thank for these…," he whispered mockingly to himself, indicating the bloodstained white bandages that encircled his upper right arm, lower left arm, lower legs, and chest. He began to unwind the bandages, then looked over at Kagome and saw her sleeping on the floor of the strange hut, medical tools still in hand…_'She fell asleep tending me?'_ Inuyasha thought incredulously, then shook that thought from his mind: this was Kagome. Nothing to be surprised at about that.

            All the same, however, Inuyasha deigned to let Kagome's bandages stay on as he clambered stiffly out of bed, first slivers of sunlight stabbing into his eyes as he fought to get out of bed.

            _'No use letting Kagome's efforts go to waste,' _Inuyasha thought to himself, not half so grumpy as he'd hoped to sound as he walked out of the hut and towards the village, every building frilled with the flames of the early morning as he began to seek out the village elder.

            That elder had answers to questions Inuyasha had wanted to ask since he was first forced to flee from here: first by a raiding band of humans, then by the villagers themselves.

            Kagome awoke to a chorus of human voices, jostling her out of a peaceful sleep as a medley of screams, yells, and angry shouts all arose from the main village, about two hundred yards from their temporary home, bordering on the outskirts of the village—not exactly the screams and cries of terror of people being devoured or attacked, by youkai…but something she (and, although she wanted him to stay in bed, Inuyasha would fight, gripe, and bitch until he got his way) and Inuyasha should go investigate.

            "Inuyasha, wake up. We need to…," she began, trailing off as she realized the hanyou was no longer in his bed.

            _'Terrific. Well, at least I know what the cause of the disturbance is now…,' _Kagome groaned out loud, hurriedly pulling off her pajamas and slipping into her school uniform (_'I really need to convince mom to get me some other clothing…'_) as she grabbed her bow and arrow (just a precaution), rushing outside into the yellow sunshine and running towards the main village.

            The sight that met her eyes astonished her: a completely different Inuyasha was in the middle of the town, holding the village elder by the throat, his feet dangling about two feet off the ground, a dangerous-sounding growl rumbling from his throat while he was surrounded by a number of villagers, all armed with spears, swords, rocks, and hoes.

            "TALK!" Inuyasha snarled, seemingly unperturbed by his shredded upper arm; face contorting in fury as he tightened his grip on the man's throat. Eyes rolling in his head, tongue lolling from his mouth as spittle dribbled out, the elder gurgled,

            "We will not…tell…"

            A cry of rage that was more roar than anything ripped its way lose of Inuyasha's throat as he hurled the man to the ground, drawing the Tetsuaiga in his rage as he let the point rest upon the elder's throat, growling out,

            "Tell me, or die. It's your choice, _baka_."

            Stolidly, unwaveringly, the elder refused once more to speak, clamping his eyes shut calmly and waiting for the stroke that would end his life. Drawing the Tetsuaiga back in what appeared to be a blind fury, Inuyasha prepared to stab downwards, but two things happened simultaneously: two voices rang out, matched in their female hosts, their pitch, and their desperateness.

            "Stop, I'll tell you!" A young woman—probably the elder's daughter—cried, tears falling from her eyes as she rushed to her father's side, kneeling beside him and cupping his head to her stomach while Kagome yelled, "INUYASHA! STOP!"

            The crowd ignored Kagome's scream, and Inuyasha felt a small burn of shame at having been seen like this…act or no, it wasn't him anymore.

            "I'll tell you what you want to know," the young woman cried, tears falling gently from her eyes, splashing softly on her father's brow as she tried to defend him from what she thought would be Inuyasha's killing stroke. "I'll come to the House of the Forsaken before nightfall, I swear…just please, leave my father alone…"

            Inuyasha straightened up, sheathing the Tetsuaiga; not uttering a word, he turned and walked towards Kagome, grabbing her none too gently as he led her back towards his mother's hut: the so-called 'House of the Forsaken'.

            "Just what in the world did you think you were doing back there, Inuyasha!?" Kagome screamed at him as soon as his clawed hand met her pale arm, blood flushing to her face as she snapped into full-blown anger mode at the way he had treated that innocent old man. "Don't you realize you just terrified the entire village, and that they'll probably attack us now!? Not to mention the fact that you just transformed into a cold-blooded murderer that was about to kill the leader of the village because he wouldn't tell you something you wanted to know, and it doesn't have anything to do with shards because there's none within a mile of here!"

            Inuyasha kept silent, enduring her protests until they were safely out of hearing range of the villagers, then spun her around and stared straight into her eyes as he said, in a slightly warmer tone that, had not Kagome known better, could have contained a hint of disgust?

            Disgust with what? The villagers? The elder? _Himself_?

            She didn't get time to ponder that question for very long, however, as Inuyasha began to speak.

            "You think I wanted to do that, Kagome? That was the only way to get these bastards to listen to me: to act like their most feared youkai, to threaten them, to intimidate them. You saw how stubborn they were: if I'd come in, acting like I do around you and Miroku and Sango and Shippou, there was no way they'd tell me anything: they'd think I wasn't a threat, that I was the same weak hanyou they picked on when I was younger, and there's no way they'd tell me what I want to know."

            Kagome, still angry at the way he had acted and not giving his ears a break, shouted,

            "_What_ could you want to know so bad that you'd almost—WILLINGLY!—kill an innocent human to find out?"

            His response shocked Kagome to the very depths of her being; jaw agape, Kagome could only imagine what was running through Inuyasha's mind as he said,

            "I want to find out who the bastard was that killed my mother. Fifteen years before I was sealed, I lived here. Fifteen years ago a band of human raiders came through and burned, pillaged, and looted this whole town. I was told to run by my mother, but she was caught by the bandits and told me to run, told me to save myself as she was dragged away by a bandit," Inuyasha choked out, a growl working its way out as he clenched his hands so tightly blood ran in rivulets from his palms. "They caught all of the pillagers, and killed all except two; the leader, and the _murderer_. They knew who those two were, but when I tried to come back—when I tried to find out what happened to my mother—I was driven away by the villagers themselves, jeered and stoned as they told me my filthy youkai-marrying mother had been killed, so there was no place for me in that village anymore."

            Kagome's eyes widened in shock as she heard Inuyasha open his past up to her, more open and emotional than she'd ever seen him before: pain flashed in his eyes, hate and rage bubbled in the spittle that flew from his mouth as he spat.

            "There was never a place for me in that village. They knew who my mother's murderer was, but refused to tell me out of spite…that's why the leader refused to tell me: he was one of the children that stoned me, jeered at me, teased me for being a hanyou when I was younger; his parent's ignorance still lives on in him. But I'm going to find out, and before I deal with Naraku—before I deal with _any more_ of my other enemies—I'm going to kill that bastard," he ended in nearly a whisper, punching the wall in his rage and leaving a huge dent in a supporting beam.

            "Hello?" A female voice, tentative, broke the short silence as the flap covering the door to the hut was shoved aside by the elder's daughter. "I…," she started, trying to compose herself in the face of the violent hanyou that now sat impassively in front of her. "I'm here to tell you what I know, but please: after I tell you, please…leave our village, we don't want any trouble with you."

            "Just tell me," Inuyasha snapped, emotion gone as he once more invoked his fearsome, violent side. "Then I'll decide whether or not we'll leave."

            Visibly shaken, the young girl tried to compose herself, and began shakily.

            "This is…this is all that I know," she started, and began telling a tale that Inuyasha had waited sixty-five years to hear.

            Yes, yes, I know; it's horribly rotten of me to leave you hanging like that, but hey: cliffhangers generate more **REVIEW**s, and I want to know if you guys want me to do the lemon or not ^_^. Oh well, that's all for tonight…please read and **REVIEW**, and post whether or not you want me to do a lemon ^_^.__


	33. Really Really Really Sorry about this! G...

            Gomen nasai, minna (sorry, everyone)…I can't update tonight; it's a dead-Kaminari day (if you don't read the MegaTokyo web comic, it's a take on the artist's (Piro's) dead-Piro days; it's basically where the ability to draw completely abandons him, except in my case I have no ability to draw, so the ability to write abandons me) on the grounds of sleep deprivation/lateness…

            I'm really sorry that I'm leaving you all hanging like this, lol; to make up for it, if any of you wants a spoiler/summary of the next chapter, email me at Azevedojsh@aol.com (preferably with a subject line of something like "Story Spoiler" or something so I don't mistake it for spam and delete it). Well, sorry again…but here's some review responses to try and make up for it (keh, like that'll happen…heh)

            LadyWyrsa: Yeah, I can imagine Naraku having to take Pepcid AC or Alka-Seltzer to get rid of the heartburn Sesshoumaru's giving him…lol. In response to what Rin/Jaken are doing, Jaken's taking care of Rin and they're still trying to find Sesshoumaru; they don't know what's happened to him yet: it's only been a day. I'll figure out how to work something in, it'll probably be in the next chapter…

            BurningBritelyOne: Ah, I see what you're saying…small flaw in that, too, because the Tenseiga has to be swung to revive the demons; but it could theoretically release the power to kill him on Sesshoumaru's subconscious demand, but blah…it wouldn't work in my story, and who's to say the sword stayed inside Naraku? ^_-

            Sangami: I think it would be possible in the real story, but it probably wouldn't be done for one reason: it's public TV, and although what can and can't be shown on public TV is different in Japan than it is here, I still think that sexual intercourse in a cartoon is crossing the line over there, too. It's not likely to happen, true; but I envision it as a burst of passion and them getting caught up in the moment.

            Silverstarlight: Actually, the lemon may suck, if you catch my meaning ^_-. Lol, I'm just goofing around…(perverted side coming into play…heh).

            Lindy*girl: I wasn't planning it to be any length; I just wanted it to be as long as possible, but I thought for sure I wouldn't be able to get past 25,000 words or so (at max)…heh, guess I've proven myself wrong on that one ^_^. 

            Nightrain: Yeah, I tend to update every day…what I do is bookmark the latest chapter in a fic I'm following, then delete the previous bookmark; that way I know if it's been updated and I can just click the forward button to read the next few chapters.

            Youkai Chick Supreme: Yes, baka na ningen…the sad part is, there are people like that in the world (as you all know), and that's just one of the many reasons why I have no faith in humanity whatsoever…on a lighter note, who said the murderer was a member of the village? ^_^.

            And yes, you have helped me reach my goals, and you're still furthering them; like I said, I never expected to get past 25,000 words and 50 reviews on this; I've got almost twice as many words and seven times as many reviews, all thanks to you and all my other readers, and I'm very grateful for that ^_^.

            Kyron: Yes, I did mention that; unfortunately, I can't/won't post those for two reasons: first off, they're mostly one-shot ideas I had running around in my head with little to no back story, and second off some of those ideas bleed through to my other fic ideas (such as the original fiction I'm gonna be writing soon, it'll be called "Dreams of a Child"; if you want any more information, feel free to email me/IM me at Azevedojsh/@aol.com, I may or may not post it on fictionpress.net, probably not); the second reason is they were all lost when I switched computers…forgot to archive them ^_^0.

            Well, that's all for tonight…like I said, I'm very very sorry about leaving you all hanging on the cliffhanger…it was my first intentional one in a while (I wanted information on whether or not I should do a lemon, and a cliffhanger normally turns out more reviews than a non-cliffhanger, so sorry…), but I didn't mean to have you guys hanging for two days (at least you don't have to wait a week like some other authors; ((I don't mean anyone in particular!)), you just have to wait one more day ^_^.

            Oh yeah, here's the "poll" results on whether or not I should do a sex chapter:

            Yes: 10

            No: 3

            Neutral: 3

            I'm going to let this run for two more chapters, and at the end of that I'll make my final call on whether or not I'm going to make a lemon chapter…if you want it, speak up! If not, speak up: your votes can make a difference ^_^.


	34. Dare wa Inuyasha no Okaasan wa Koroshita...

            Okay, I'm back…sorry about last night, but I was completely dead (to give you an idea: I skated in San Francisco all day today, literally about 10 miles or so, in addition to pissing off security guards and busting out on stuff…lol, security guards are fun to mess with ^_^, and I'm less dead than I was last night), and, in addition to that, my writing ability completely crapped out. Oh well, you probably don't want to be reading this; so, without further delay, here's some review responses, then the story!

            MV: I wouldn't do a lemon if I couldn't make it in-character, and it'll be hard to make it in-character but I'll manage: I've read stories before (Starlight and Shadows, for instance) that had a lemon in it but still managed to make it fit perfectly in character ^_^.

            Lunthra: If you seriously hate him, sorry, but Jaken _was_ brought back to life; I didn't forget, but I just couldn't think up a good way to write it in without making it worse, so I bypassed it. Sorry bout the confusion, everyone! I like Jaken, he's pretty cool, just kind of underrated…and by the way, there's no way would I have Sesshoumaru die, he's too cool for that; plus, how could the Great Lord Sesshoumaru fall to a pitiful hanyou (well, he's hanyou in a way) like Naraku?

            Amanda: My dad says I should be a writer for a career, but I won't make it my primary occupation; it's hard to make a living at it, and I'd have to write for money and on a deadline for a company (it's different than a self-imposed deadline, so don't get me wrong), so that would kind of take the purity of writing away from me. That being said, I probably will write my whole life…it's too much fun to not ^_^ (I'm seriously looking forward to becoming fluent in Japanese so I'll be able to write in two languages…heh). Oh well, no worries about the future as of yet…except for writing more of my story for you guys to enjoy ^_^.

            Smileygirl322: Well, apparently more people want a lemon than don't; and also, a lemon will be sort of integral to the end of my story (shhh! Don't tell anybody I told you that! ::looks at all other readers:: ::smacks self in head), so whether or not I write about it, it will take place in the story (I just thought you guys might want to read about it ^_^ ::perverted grin:: ::gets hit by Hiraikotsu::). Sorry to all who don't like it, but hey: this is a free country, so if you don't want to read it you don't have to; and I promise I will try to make it as painless on those who don't want it as possible ^_^.

            Hikaru: Lol, I didn't mean anything by the comment I made; I just meant to say that I won't forget your name because I have someone in my class named that ^_^. I'll try to check out those two anime, they sound pretty good…personally, I'm downloading and watching RahXephon now: the first episode is a little confusing, but it kicks mucho ass, and I'm downloading and watching the third and fourth ones as we speak (I haven't had time to watch the 2nd yet…dang).

            Kagome: Yes, thank you for going to kill Hojo…he's either hell bent on getting Kagome to be his girlfriend, dense as hell, or both. Here, you can borrow my sword: it'll be more fun that way!

            Youkai Chick Supreme: Well, I just didn't think so many people would read/review my story; I mean, look at stories like Family Reunions and TransPossessing: I love that fic, it's long, good storyline, but not that many people have reviewed it. I didn't think it would be that long because it was originally going to be shorter, because a) I didn't think I could think of so many ideas and b) I didn't think response would be great enough to warrant me continuing it…like I've said before: I proved myself wrong on both of these points (well, I proved myself wrong on the first one; you all proved me wrong on the second one ^_^). In response to your thing about the murderer: if the murderer _was_ in the village, it would be all bad because Inuyasha would go insane with rage and pretty much embody the villager's ideas of what youkai/hanyou are like…lol.

            PS: Warning, there may not be an update Tuesday…there probably will be, I don't have school, but if I don't/can't get it done before I have the surgery (it's no big deal; I'm just getting a cyst removed, but the anesthetic doesn't like me…last time I had a surgery, wisdom teeth removed, I was throwing up for about eight hours afterwards); I'll do my best, though: I don't like having no update on two nights in one week!

Well, I don't own Inuyasha (and all of you should know that, why must you keep making me say it!?!?? WHY!? :P) so on with the story!

Chapter Thirty

            _"Hello?" A female voice, tentative, broke the short silence as the flap covering the door to the hut was shoed aside by the elder's daughter. "I…," she started, trying to compose herself in the face of the violent hanyou that now sat impassively in front of her. "I'm here to tell you what you want to know, but please: after I tell you, please…leave our village, we don't want any trouble with you._

_            "Just tell me," Inuyasha snapped, emotion gone as he once more invoked his fearsome, violent side. "Then I'll decide whether or not we'll leave."_

_            Visibly shaken, the young girl tried to compose herself, and began shakily._

            "This is…this is all that I know," she started, and began telling a tale that Inuyasha had waited sixty-five years to hear.

            Silence filled the hut for a brief moment before she began, voice quaking with fear, "Well, as you know Hanyou-Sama, sixty-five years ago we were beset by invaders from the east; a huge band of them, no less than three hundred strong." She paused, looking at Inuyasha for permission to go on, until he growled,

            "I know that. Continue."

            "Well, they ransacked our village, seemingly without reason: we were, and still are, a poor people; we had no valuable trinkets, food, or wine they might be after, but they beset their siege upon us regardless. It lasted three days, burning, killing the women, raping those they could capture…they drove all they did not kill from the village and claimed the town as their own." She took a deep breath, still keeping her eyes averted to the ground as she continued in her shivery voice. "My father—the village elder—rallied all the men we had remaining, less than one hundred strong; seeing this was not enough, he also rallied all the women left alive and able to fight…with this force, no more than 200, we fought."

            Kagome, surprise in her eyes, thought to herself,

            'They went into battle with only 200 soldiers, outnumbering them three to two? With half of them farming women with no experience of fighting before?'

            "We endured massive casualties…half of the women were either killed or wounded, a full two thirds of the men were killed, and none escaped without serious injuries, but we won." A brief glimmer of triumph passed through the girl's eyes as she wove her tale. "My father, for being only a poor farmer, was a great strategist…he led our force of two hundred into victory against stronger, more ruthless opponents, but still, not a day goes by that we do not think of the losses we endured…"

            Inuyasha, slightly impressed by the elder's military strategies, nonetheless snapped, "I want to know about my mother, not about the battle."

            The girl paled in fear, then hastily continued.

            "We took no prisoners, save two: the leader of the mercenaries, and his son; his son was no more than a teenager by that time, but he had been well initiated into the ways of thievery, pillaging, and murder by that time. We created a temporary jail for them—the hut that we now reside in—already named the House of the Forbidden, both for the prisoners it contained, and…"

            "And because of the woman and hanyou that resided there, am I correct?" Inuyasha stated bluntly.

            Blushing softly in apology, she nodded, and said, "I think it was horrifying the way they continue to treat hanyou, Hanyou-Sama."

            "I didn't ask for pity." 

            She nodded, averting eyes to the ground once more.

            "That night, your mother was assigned to guard the prisoners; it would have been a man's job, but the men were severely wounded from their battles. The women were not much better off, however, but they were still able to move around…in any event, your mother was given the duty to guard the two prisoners before their execution…but…"

            "But what?"

            "They broke out of their prison and overpowered her," she whispered, genuine sorrow piercing her voice. "Before they left the village, the son executed her in the town square…he stabbed her through the forehead, driving the sword in slowly, and urinated on her corpse's face (a/n: It's a big insult anywhere, but urinating on someone in ancient Japan was one of the biggest dishonors anybody could have, except for a samurai having his blades broken)…" she trailed off, hurt in her voice as Inuyasha tried to comprehend this; rage struggling to burst through the dam in his chest as he tried to keep himself under control.

            "Who did it?" He choked out in a deathly whisper; cool, collected image gone.

            "The son," she said, as if he hadn't heard. "His name is never spoken in our village…that's why my father did not wish to tell you."

            The rage that had threatened to overwhelm Inuyasha broke through the proverbial dam as he swept up the woman, slamming her into the wall as he snarled,

            "WHO!?"

            "His name was…," she sputtered, inhibition fighting strong as the acidic tang of the name would not allow her to speak it. "His name was…"

            "WHO!?" Inuyasha repeated, trying in vain to keep his rage under control as he shook the girl violently.

            "Onigumo," she whispered, turning her head violently to the side as she closed her eyes; forbidden name spoken.

            Shock numbed Inuyasha: eyes went wide, liquid gold centers blooming wide with surprise; speech strangled as it struggled to get past the rock-hard lump in his throat. Emotion choked his chest, strangled his heart, until he felt like he was going to black out any second…grip on the girl's neck released, slumping her to the ground as Kagome rushed to comfort her, whispering,

            "It's alright…don't worry…but I would definitely get out of here if I were you," she said urgently, ushering the girl towards the exit of the tent. "Don't worry…I promise we won't bother you anymore, just it would be…prudent…to leave, Ms???"

            "My name is Seiko," she said as she exited the tent, turning as she bowed low to Kagome.

            "Sayonara, Seiko-sama," Kagome whispered, as she turned around to face a silent Inuyasha, frozen in the position he had been when he released the girl, minus his arm, which had dropped limply to his side.

            "Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered tentatively, stepping gently over to his side and placing her hand on his arm. "Are you…"

            "How could I not know?" Inuyasha whispered softly, silver mane hooding his eyes, casting them in shadow, as his ears flattened against his head. "HOW COULD I NOT KNOW!?"

            "Inuyasha, don't do this to yourself! It wasn't…"

            But he was gone, lost in the throes of passionate rage; anger, hate, self-loathing, desperation, a life devoid of emotion…all culminated in this one moment, this one realization, as he drove his fist into the side of the house, deaf to all save the call of his anger—not even Kagome could save him now.

            "He's taken everything from me now: he took Kikyo, turned her on me, made her seal me, and then killed her...he toyed with my heart, my emotions, made my life so hard…and now I find out he's killed my mother! He's taken everything away from me!" He roared, slamming another angry fist into the wall; memories of pain, loss, and suffering dredging themselves up, playing as clearly as day in his tormented mind…

            His mother's eyes, filled with pain and anguish as she yelled at him to leave; body being dragged away by Onigumo…

            Hate and fear filling him to the brim as he realized he was homeless now, cold hearts of the villagers matching the cold stones they hurled at him, driving away from the only place he had ever known; away from the only person he had other loved…

            The face of Naraku, laughing in sadistic glee as he pieced together the Shikon no Tama, shining black as his malice and hate corrupted and tainted it; made only the worse by the hate and anger that flowed from his heart now, staining it a darker black…

            "Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, shaking him violently as she stared into his eyes, glassed over as pain-suffused memories welled up inside his mind; tainting his heart, blackening his soul even as she watched. "INUYASHA!"

            …and the eyes of Kagome, azure blue, soothing his tortured heart; quelling the flames of hate and pain in his soul, giving him back to himself; eyes that had no bottom, filled with loe, caring, and warmth—just as her heart was.

            But even she could not help heal this wound; even the one he cared so deeply for could not prevent the scar that this new revelation was leaving on the tattered remnants of his soul, and for that he was grateful—he wanted it to burn, wanted it to hurt. He wanted it to be a constant reminder of the hate he still held for Naraku; a fuel that would constantly drive him, never letting him forget his past losses at his foe's hands; never letting him lose the memories of humiliations he'd suffered.

            And only one word pounded itself in his skull as he stalked out of the cabin, whispering, "Don't worry, I'll be fine," to Kagome; one word festered in his mind as he flexed his claws, wanting desperately to use them; wanting to rend flesh from limb, desiring nothing but the piquant sensation of the kill. Only one word burned in his mind.

            'Naraku.'

            Ah, poor, poor Inuyasha…seems like Naraku just likes being a bitch and breaking his life apart, doesn't it? Well, I hope you all liked this chapter, and I hope that I managed to inject a sense of realism into it…even if you truly love somebody, as I'm sure Inuyasha does Kagome (and Kagome does Inuyasha), even they can't protect you from every emotional wound you'll have inflicted on you; I realized I'd kind of been neglecting that in my story…gomen ne! (PS: I'm kind of a perfectionist, so just ignore stuff like this, lol)

            Oh well, enough deep thought…thanks for everyone reviewing, and guess what: I'll most likely be hitting 400 reviews and 50,000 words on the same day! (I technically have 50,000 words now, according to Microsoft Word ((Fanfiction.net says I have 47,361 on my story, and this chapter's over 2,639 words…stupid word-cutter off thingie…I may have 50,000 tonight, but I seriously doubt it!) Of course, that's assuming I get the average of 15 reviews per day that I've been getting for the past few chapters, and please review if you'd be so kind ^_^.

            On my final note for tonight, here's the current poll results for the lemon chapter:

            Yes: Seventeen

            No: Six

            Neutral: Four

            It looks like I'm going to be typing one, unless there's a sudden rush of people who don't want it…you don't have to post it in your review, if you want you can e-mail it to me at _Azevedojsh@aol.com_; either way, though, it looks like I'll be writing a sex scene ^_^. For those who don't want to read it, however, don't worry: it will be posted under a different name (something along the lines of Hanyou no Kon Lemon Scene…very original, I know ^_^), and I'll post a link to it in this fic, but you don't have to read it if you don't want to…most of the people that have responded will, however, so I hope you enjoy it!

            Well, that's all for tonight…Suugaku no shukudai o shinakereba narimasen kedo, denakereba narimasen yo! Jaa, mata ne!


	35. Gah, two review responses in three daysI...

            Well, gomen nasai once more…I thought that I would update last night, but Fate had other plans for me: we were busier than we've ever been (literally), and I didn't get to stop moving from 4 to 8, and I got off at 9…sorry if I sound like I'm b*tch*ng, but oh well—there's the reason I didn't update last night (at least I didn't leave you with a cliffhanger! ^_^); and as for tonight, I spent all my creative energies thinking up ideas for later…I have the idea for the next chapter, I just can't write it out tonight…L

            Youkai Chick Supreme: Yes, this happened before the Naraku encounter, but still—it just seems like Fate (aka me in this story…) has set Inuyasha to lose everything he has by the hands of Onigumo/Naraku, plus I just wanted to write my own version of what happened to Inuyasha's mom. On another note: I don't like Kikyo, but I don't hate her; if I had to choose one, I'd say hating her, though. I had her die because then Inuyasha could be free to be with Kagome.

            Eartha: Yes, I did kind of mess up; but that could technically work: note how I said he was a child when Inuyasha lived in the village, 65 years ago. That would make him about 70; his daughter could be around 20, so that would make him 50 when he had a kid—not likely, but yeah…in hind sight, it would've worked better if he'd been her grandfather ^_^0.

            Kenkaya: Yeah, Nitrous Oxide sucks badly…just as badly as waiting 3 years for Harry Potter V _. But yeah: I don't feel pressured, because I know I do this of my own free will, just I don't like not doing it because it's fun to me, so thanks for the support ^_^.

            Lady Yami: Y35, I4MI\I I-I I I\/I 2 I-I3I_I_ (sorry for all of those who can't read l33t ^_^)

            Sylver-Ajah: I've been a little curious as to how I would write one too…oh well, I'll get my chance to soon ^_^.

            Piukka: I know how that is…my mom thought I was insane when I was watching the episode where Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru fight Naraku, and I went, "Use the G*DD*MN BAKURYUUHA!".

            Drag-On10101: All I can say is 'Thank you so much' for lack of a better way to express myself for your review…and don't say my writing ability's better than yours, I've just had more practice: if you've got the gift of writing, all you need to do is work at it to make it better, it's just like everything else.

            SaiyajinEmpress: As I've said before, all I can say is thank you (damn the English language for not having a better way to express gratitude!)…well, I'll try to sum it up in Japanese: Boku no hontou no orei ni itadakimasen ka? (Literal: Will you not accept my true/real thanks? Loosely: Will you accept my heartfelt thanks?)

            The above two reviews made my day yesterday ^_^, and thank you very much for submitting them…except I have a question: what, exactly, is Iridescent Dreams? I found a website, but I'm not sure that was it…it didn't say anything about Kagome/Inuyasha fictions…

            Well, that's all for tonight…I will most likely be updating tomorrow night, I promise to try my best. Sorry, but hey, like I said: at least I didn't leave you guys with a cliffhanger ^_^.


	36. Kagome de Inuyasha no Kangae Thoughts o...

            Woohoo! 400 reviews reached…thanks everyone ^_^! Sorry about the last couple of days; I just seriously either couldn't write or wasn't in the creative mindset I normally am…I'm still not back there yet, but hey: I figure I may as well try, lol. Oh well, onto the responses…

            Inuficcrzy: I'll probably be writing the lemon chapter pretty soon; I thought of a good way to work it into the story without it being too Out-of-character or outlandish, and I've figured out a way to make both people who want to read it and don't want to read it happy (you'll see when I write it; I don't feel like explaining it right now…sorry 

-_-)

            Angelstars: O_O That, without a doubt, is my longest review ever…hahaha, thank you: I enjoy reading long reviews (they're all good) ^_^. As of today I have found out I have no longer seen every episode of Inuyasha: I'm downloading 106 (taps foot impatiently) and waiting for episode 107 to be released (taps foot at blinding speed). But thanks a lot for your encouragement…I've got about 15,000 words (max) left, or so I think (I may surprise myself), but I will keep updating…ending this story is going to be good, yet bad for me…bad because I like reading reviews and letting everybody have insight into my mind and I'll miss writing, good because I get to write my ending…lol.

            Jen Tai Yaung: No problem about mistaking me for a girl; I knew it would probably happen, judging by the fact I write romance, just I didn't think it would happen to this degree…I'm gonna start putting in author's notes that say, "I am NOT a girl, I am a guy" every chapter…it would make it less confusing that way, ne?

            SaiyajinEmpress: Lol, thank you…I actually found that page before, but I didn't see that little link that said "Submit a Fic", and even then I wouldn't have submitted it: you have to be recommended…lol, but oh well…thank you!

            Yeah, that's all the review responses for tonight…but hey, I'm forgetting the story! **~**Gets angry glares from readers~ ~Sweat drops~ Eheheh…don't think I'd leave you hanging, right? ^_^0

            Disclaimer: I am not a girl…oh yea, and I don't own Inuyasha. That too.

Chapter Thirty-One

            "Inuyasha, wait!" Kagome cried, rushing to the tattered animal skin that hung over the entrance, trying desperately to reach Inuyasha before he left—but it was to no avail. He had already left, leaping deftly away as he soared above the village, leaping away at a fantastic rate across the landscape, fiery morning light staining his silver mane blood red as he disappeared beyond the outermost reaches of the village. Solitude awaited him there.

            Not that she could really blame him for wanting to be alone, however: it isn't every day you find out your mother was killed by your worst enemy…add to that the fact that he'd already suffered so much at the hands of Naraku, had his first love killed by him, tricked into thinking he was betrayed by her, and she could see why he'd need some time to himself.

            _'How can he take it?'_ Kagome wondered, staring at the golden sun as it began its ascent over the land, looking over the Earth like a great, golden eye. _'How does he live with the pain…the knowledge of what he's lost…burning him alive inside? How did he manage to survive before he had any friends…before he knew even Kikyo? Before he had anybody at all?'_

            Yet Kagome was not that naïve: she knew the answer to that question all too well, was able to decipher it from bits and pieces of hints he dropped in conversations with her.

            _'I know how he survived…he's Inuyasha. He became cold, hard, proud…he didn't know how to give up, didn't know how to fail. He was strong enough to make it through his turmoil, cold enough to shove aside the pain…'_

_            'Just like he'll shove this aside,' _another voice piped up. (a/n: most of the time this would warrant a psychiatrist, but just imagine these voices as being optimistic and pessimistic halves of the same whole) _'He'll live on, you know that…he'll channel it towards Naraku, driving his hatred, adding fuel to the flames of his heart until Naraku is finally killed.'_

That was exactly what she was afraid of…all his rage, burning him alive for years upon years without release, growing stronger all the time with no release…what would happen when Naraku was finally killed? He had Kagome, after all…but he might not be the same anymore: nothing more than a charred shell, consuming flames spent as he held the Shikon no Tama in his hand…and what would he do then? _What_?

            But yet she still smiled…unconvincingly, but she still smiled, trying to brush away the dark thoughts that were crowding her mind as she looked off into the distance, staring in the direction Inuyasha had bounded off into, hoping that the warmth of her smile could warm the chill of painful memories that were undoubtedly welling up inside his mind in his solitude.

            Rivulets of blood streamed down Inuyasha's palms, crimson snakes winding down his hands, through his fingers, and falling like tears of blood from his hands to the uncaring world down below. Silver hair cascaded down around his face, forming a shield that hooded his eyes, his face. It cut him off from the rest of the world, isolated him, while memories played across his tortured mind, stoking the flames of hate that had nearly died to new heights as he remembered that night…that final night…

--Flashback—

            Smoke spewed from burning homes, the thick gray smoke blotting out the clouds and covering the sky in a dark mist, tainted with the malice that now ran, mixed with blood, in the veins of the thieves; faces split wide with sadistic grins as the thought of the hunt goaded them to greater cruelty. The hooves of horses thudded through the village, shaking the ground like an earthquake; women and children ran for cover as arrows lanced out, thick as raindrops in a thunderstorm, from the marauding raiders…wherever there was exposed flesh, it was stuck full of arrows like a pincushion. What the arrows missed, the swords would not…

            And through this all, Inuyasha ran, hand clasped in his mothers as she fought back the tears and pain to save her son…almost dragging him behind her, running with terror-induced speed, to save him from the horrors that massed behind them, growing more perilous with every second they wasted.

            "Momma, what's going on!?" Inuyasha cried, eyes stinging with both smoke and tears falling from his eyes at all he was witnessing. "Why are they doing this!?"

            Yet he received no response…at least, not a verbal one. He was suddenly cast forward; stumbling, falling, he fell to the ground. Tears falling from his face, he looked up from the ground and cried,

            "Momma!?"

            "RUN!" She screamed, eyes shining as she stared at the obvious hurt in the young boy's eyes, and she knew her fate was sealed…she could feel the cold, iron grip of a man's hand upon her shoulder, even as she yelled one final impassioned plea: "Inuyasha, if you truly love me, you'll run! PLEASE!"

            And it was a hurt, confused child that turned and ran from the scene of terror that lay behind him…a scene that would haunt him for the rest of his childhood, even into his adult years; a scene that was the perfect model of his life for years to come: cast out, heart hurting worse than he'd ever thought possible, thrown out into the unknown.

            And through it all, a new twist was added…the product of an adult Inuyasha's imagination: the sound of Naraku's laughter, resounding over and over again in his mind, as his mother was dragged away, pain, helplessness, and desperation written in her eyes as she screamed at him to run…

--End—

            Tears struggled to push their way out from Inuyasha's eyes in a futile effort to show his emotions to the world; his heart, instead, was forced to bear the burden as it felt the full crushing weight bear down upon it…this memory had always tortured him, but he thought he'd grown numb to it. Now, with the revelation that it had been Onigumo to kill his mother…it was like a freshly struck wound.

            _'That bastard…'_ Inuyasha whispered inside his own mind, clenching his fists in a white-knuckle grip, claws digging mercilessly into his palms. Chin trembled with suppressed rage, fangs ground together. _'I don't care if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to kill that goddamn bastard…'_

            Kagome was having similar thoughts about Naraku as she lay upon the bed, nestled in a dark corner of the so-called 'House of the Forbidden', thoughts wandering back to Naraku (as they so often did now…how close were they to finding him? How close were they to defeating him, to Inuyasha exacting his final revenge?) as she, like Inuyasha, thought about the pain he had caused him.

            In a way, it had hurt her more than it had hurt him—his pain had been spaced out, separated, more sparse than the pain she was bearing now, being crushed beneath a huge weight of emotional hurt that seeing the one she cared for—loved, even—in so much pain, unable to do anything as she realized the full extent of his suffering.

            _'How…how can he bear such pain?'_

            Kagome's fondest desire at that moment would have been to find Inuyasha…to tell him everything would be all right…to find a way, an action, something to say, _anything_ that would have her comfort him and ease his pain. Yet she could think of nothing to say, nothing to do, that would release him from the grip this pain now encased him in…even tears could not mitigate his suffering.

            But that was the way he was, right? It was what had shaped him…made him strong…made him proud…made him who he was. It was those very same pains, the crippling losses, the life he led, that gave him his strength, and it was Naraku that quickened all that lay inside of him.

            Yet he and she alike would—_could—_not forgive Naraku for what he had done.

            _'He's taken more than I would have believed possible—not just from Inuyasha, but from Miroku…Sango…Kouga…all those families that we've met, all those who have suffered: he ripped their lives apart just as he did Inuyasha's.'_

            Flames of bitter rage burned inside Kagome and Inuyasha alike as both their thoughts turned to the source of their pain: Naraku; grim satisfaction shone in their eyes as they envisioned the fall of Naraku. Happiness shone in the eyes of Kagome as she thought of what was possible after the death of their most hated foe, while doubt suffused the eyes of the tortured hanyou at the uncertainty that lay beyond…

            Well, an update that was three days in the making and it's not all that great…oh well ^_^. I'll probably be doing another funny chapter soon (hehehe…Codename: Anrui Yuy knows what it will be about ^_^) and I'll be trying to write the lemon soon; voting's over, and I lost count exactly of how many people voted yes/no/neutral, but I know that yes buried no by about 15 votes ^_^.

            Oh well…till next time! I'll try to update again tomorrow, and hopefully it'll be the funny chapter…meh. Jaa, mata ne!

            (Oh, by the way: Suugaku no shukudai o shinakereba narimasen kara, denakereba narimasen yo! Means "I have to leave because I've got to do my math homework!" Heh…just thought I'd put that in ^_^)


	37. Sesshoumaru no Waru Kangae! Sesshoumaru...

            Well, thus ends the streak of updating daily…sorry, but it's a toll on my imagination right now so I'll be updating probably once every two, sometimes three, days. That being said, I'll still try to write harder, and hopefully the stretch of time will give me more chances to create new ideas, lengthen/progress the story, and reread, fix, and tune up chapters ^_^.

            LilacRose23: Yeah, I just got done watching Inuyasha 106 and I'm d/ling Inuyasha 107 now (go me! I don't care if it's subtitled or not, I'll pick my way through it…)…106 was very cool, but I'd still have to say episode 100 is my favorite ^_^.

            Angelstars: Yeah, damn Fate giving Inuyasha a cruel life (well, not that I helped him get a better one in any way…yet…::gets happy-yet-evil look in eyes:: ^_^). And no, I've actually read only one part of the manga; I was in a bookstore in San Francisco, found the manga (in English…bleh), and read it: it was the one where Kouga kidnaps Kagome. Oh well, I like the anime better because I saw it first ^_^.

            Kay Kylo: Yeah, go ahead and vote; officially, the poll's ended, but yes on lemon wins by about 14 votes still…hee ^_^. Sorry, but I'm sleepy right now, and for some reason this reminds me of the episode of Futurama where the delivery company's new bureaucrat is a strict girl with a kinky streak for slobs and she jumps on Fry and yells, "DIRTY BOY! DIRTY BOY!" Lol…that was a great episode… 

            Eartha: Yeah, sorry about that…I noticed that too, I'm gonna try to fix it soon. I'm just better at writing the whole angst, guilt-ridden dark and somber kind of thing, and I never meant for this to be a happy fic ^_^. Oh well, it should get better soon.

            Sylver-Ajah: I learned basic Japanese in school, I've become more proficient by studying it on my own…if you want to learn Japanese on your own, buy something called "Living Language: Ultimate Japanese Basic". It's VERY good, I got it for Christmas and I'm still reading through it and learning stuff.

            Raye-rei: Yes, 'kuso' does mean 'shit'; both literally and figuratively; and as for your question about youkai/youki, please bear with me. 

            Youkai is the Japanese word for demon, such as Inu Youkai (dog demon), neko youkai (cat demon), etc. You, the first character, is the one for demon. Ki, the second character in youki, is the kanji for 'energy'. It basically means demonic energy; if you've seen Inuyasha practicing the Kaze no Kizu with Kirara (NOT KILALA DAMN YOU CARTOON NETWORK!), those two swirling clouds that wrap around Inuyasha and Kirara are youki. Youkai=demon, youki=demon energy. 

            Youkai Chick Supreme: It's forbidden to go near it/it's inhabitants, in a sense; forsaken would make more sense, but I like the sound of forbidden better (both can be used like something from The Scarlet Letter, where Inuyasha's mom is shunned because she committed a sin in the eyes of the people, having a youkai husband). I have a friend whose weirder than you without drugs…trust me, you cannot weird me out ^_^.

            Saiyan_Blurr: Yes, it was made up; they never mentioned how Inuyasha's mother died, and I thought of making it that she was killed by bandits. Then I thought, "Hey, wait a second…Onigumo used to be a member of a bunch of bandits…" and my thought process went on from there ^_^.

            Well, that's all…phew, and one heck of a lot of review responses…oh well ^_^.

            **ATTENTION SHITE KUDASAI: POLLS FOR THE LEMON ARE CLOSED, AS ARE WONDERING IF I'M A GIRL: I'M NOT, I'M A GUY ^_^**.

            (a/n: So I don't get a bunch of people questioning me about this, let's just look at it this way: when he absorbs Kagura, it's really just a part of himself he's taking back, so although he can't shift and shape his own body anymore, he can take back the parts of him he expunged beforehand)

            I don't own Inuyasha, just every episode of him…so in a way, I own him…just not legally…GAH! I CONFUSED MYSELF AGAIN!

Chapter 32

            Far from the tormented shreds of memories and emotions that Inuyasha now personified, distant from the pain blistering inside Kagome's heart, across miles of starlight-studded fields and forests, hills and mountains, one would come across an old hut…nothing would be special about it, except there would be something almost tangible in the air; something dark, insidious…one could feel an evil presence wrapped around it like a blanket…for here was Naraku.

            Inside this forbidding house he lay, suppressing his jaki, holding back his youki, so that he would not easily be detected…it was far more of a struggle than it had been a few days ago: the body of Sesshoumaru was far more powerful than he had ever dared dream…and not only that, but an unexpected bonus had come with this new body: _memories_.

            When he had absorbed the body of the supreme youkai in the miasma chamber, he had found nothing…no memories, no feelings, no emotions, nothing but power—power that paled in comparison to the body he had stolen, but power nonetheless. It was not so with the absorption of the mighty Lord Sesshoumaru—every thought, every memory, every feeling he had…his life's experiences, lessons, and victories…all were at Naraku's command. And Naraku was utilizing this newfound knowledge to extend his power beyond the maniacal amount already granted to him…he now knew how Inuyasha fought, now knew the powers of the Toukijin and Tenseiga (both of which were still embodied inside of him, the Toukijin lending itself to his power; the Tenseiga trying to revive its master, but being overwhelmed by the youki and jaki…had Naraku still had the power to shift and meld his body, he would have expelled it, but alas: that power was his no longer), and—most importantly—knew the weaknesses of every demon of Western Nihon.

            And so he lay, strength skyrocketing, poring and perusing every memory, wringing the remembrances like sponges for each tiny bit of information…

            …and then he hit upon a single, insignificant (to Sesshoumaru's mind) memory: a memory of a moonlit night, stars dotting the heavens like pinpricks of light, moon lighting the landscape as he/Sesshoumaru stood there. Then, suddenly, a huge feather, drifting down—Kagura its rider, of course—to disappear…several Shikon shards pulsing in her hand as she offered Sesshoumaru an opportunity:

            "Kill Naraku, and these shards are yours, Lord Sesshoumaru."

            A flat denial ensued, followed by a sense of amusement that Naraku/his own creation was trying to destroy him…but that was all that Naraku needed.

            Kagura had tried to betray him, and nobody—_nobody_ betrayed the most powerful demon in all of Nihon and got away with it. A twisted smile formed upon the lips of Sesshoumaru's stolen mouth as Naraku envisioned what would be done to rectify Kagura's mistake…and low, soft laughter could be heard as a plan began to form in his mind…

            _'Yes…yes, that will do quite nicely for her treachery…'_

Later that night… 

            "Kagura…," Naraku's voice sounded from the inner chambers, piercing into her mind from where she stood, calling her against her will to her master's side…she wished she could refuse, to leave forever, but no: she could already feel the pain, the agony, of her heart being crushed to nothing in Naraku's rotten hand…

            _'Bastard…' _she spat acidly in her mind, careful of his newly acquired youkai hearing, as she began the slow, depressed trudge down halls she had treaded so many times before, locked inside this house that she hated…it was only a few dozen feet down the hall to where Naraku was, but it felt like miles as she treaded down the hall, stopping in front of the door to the inner chamber, wishing she could flee…but no.

            She pressed a hand against the door, began sliding it open…and had a split second to feel the enormous jaki swelling out from the room before yellow whips, more like ropes than anything else, tore through the door and wrapped themselves none too gently around her neck—a stolen tactic from Sesshoumaru, but effective nonetheless for Naraku.

            It was a grinning Naraku, wearing the visage of an insane Sesshoumaru that stepped forth from the dust and rubble that now littered the hallway of his temporary home. Energy whips solidified their hold upon Kagura's neck as their poison began to seep in, dulling her senses, stupefying her, putting her mind into an aware torpor as he spoke.

            "So, thought you would find help from Lord Sesshoumaru, did you?" Naraku laughed, purposely changing his voice to that of the absorbed prince, coldly. "Well, Kagura, here I am…" Fear bloomed in her eyes, pupils dilating in terror as she knew what was to come—and was powerless to stop it.

            "Still want the mighty Sesshoumaru to help you kill Naraku?" He whispered, bringing the choking Kagura close to his face…close enough to where he could kiss her, if he so desired…

            But no. With a final smirk, and a laugh that shook the foundations of the house itself, a bright light began to glow around his stolen form; Kagura tried to scream, tried to break free of the strangling tentacle-like energy, but it was no use. With a choked scream, she was slowly—inexorably—drawn into Naraku…first one hand…then her arm…then her torso…until, finally, nothing remained but her head…and a raspy, grating gurgle came out of her throat as her body was plunged into Naraku.

            Instantly, as it had with Sesshoumaru, memories began flooding into Naraku's mind…memories he could remember as if he himself had lived them (and, in a sense, he had). They played across his mind, all suffused with a hatred for himself…a desire to be free…until he hit upon the one idea.

            Unlike the memory from Lord Sesshoumaru, which had been nothing more than trivial, this memory was—or had been—at the forefront of Kagura's mind: it had been at the front of her mind since she'd found out bout it, no more than three months before; and it was now ever present in her mind as the new moon drew closer…

            _'This…this knowledge…'_ Naraku thought, eyes going wide in shock as he realized what power he now held over Inuyasha. _'It can't be…but it is…I can see Inuyasha, plain as day, yet he's…he's…'_

"Human," Naraku whispered, the normally emotionless face of Sesshoumaru nearly slack-jawed in surprise as he fully understood how powerful this knowledge would be. "He becomes human at the new moon? My greatest foe loses his powers, his strength, and—above all—that damned sword at the rising of the new moon? Well, this does change my plans…," he smiled insanely, chuckling softly as he continued. "This changes my plans significantly…"

            Heavens blazed overhead as the dark gears of Naraku's mind began to spin again, twisting…turning…coldly calculating how he would destroy his most hated foe, on his weak point…

            And then he grinned sadistically again as he began thinking,

            _'He's already lost so much…why not make it complete?'_

A waning half-moon illuminated the dark house as plans spewed forth from the dark depths of Naraku's mind, cold eyes of Sesshoumaru shining with gleeful malice as he plotted what he could do…what he could take…to make Inuyasha's suffering complete.

            Well, I know it wasn't written as well as the others, so sorry for that much…but hey, it progresses the storyline, the idea's solid (in my opinion), and hey—it's an update! Lol.

            Sorry about the unexplained five day absence…it's like I've been constantly surrounded by creative kryptonite: I've either not had the desire to write, been too tired to write, or just plain had other things to do. I'll try to get it on an update schedule again as soon as possible, but I highly doubt that it'll be once-per-day anymore…sorry!

            Well, I have to go…please read and **REVIEW** and tell me what you think about my story so far…I may have a little more than 15,000 words left, so I'll just keep writing until it's done! Jaa ne!


	38. I'm really sorry everyone! Honest!

            I'd like to apologize to all of my readers, but the time has come for me to move on from things like…

            Hahaha, I'm just kidding; but on a more serious note, I'd like to sincerely apologize for my unexplained three-week absence from continuing the story: I either forgot, didn't have the urge, or was too busy to write (I'm the sole planner for my school's trip to Japan and, pardon my language, but it's been kicking my ass trying to get all this stuff settled); but no more: here I am, and you don't want to read anymore of my pathetic excuses, so here you go!

            (By the way: _Kaze no kizu _means "Wound of the Wind" or "The Wind's Wound")

            Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. You know that, you just want to read my story, right? ^_^0

            Boku wa shinenai, baaka: I can never be killed, fool.

Chapter Thirty-Three (FINALLY!)

            Slowly and stealthily, he had crept in…under a moonlit and starry sky he had stolen into the village. He had not been able to smell, been able to sense, the hanyou that lay deep within the forest, had not paid heed to the single home that contained a single young girl, trapped in painful dreams of sorrow and pity for Inuyasha, burning anger for Naraku.  

Not a person had been awake, not a child been from the beautiful embrace of their dreams…

            …that is, of course, until the screams began.

            Kagome bolted upright, startled out of troubled dreams by the first tormented screech that was ended by a horrible ripping _squelch_, only to be replaced by another—then two more—and finally a hell's chorus of torment rang through the village as she vaulted out of bed, grabbing her bow and arrows out of habit as she ran towards the cries…then stopped in shock at the nightmarish form that towered above the small huts of the villages.

            Jaki flowed from it in a suffocating wave, paralyzing the poor villagers that were awakened from their beautiful, though false, dreams into a terrifyingly true nightmare. Even as Kagome watched, its enormous clawed hands grabbed yet another helpless villager and lifted it high into the air; claws dug in mercilessly as the villager screamed in terror—then the screams were replaced by a tearing splash as he was ripped completely in half, blood flowing in a crimson tide into the demon's mouth as it snarled a single word, throwing the victim's corpse carelessly into its mouth.

            "_More…_"

            Inuyasha's head snapped up at the sound of the screams; ears twitched to catch the faintest little sound, nose strained to catch the scent of Kagome, to make sure she was alright. Hand flashed to the Tetsuaiga, to his father's fang, at the smell of blood—and he took off, running through the forest as only a half demon could. Trees flashed by, leaves and branches torn off by his speed as painful and good memories alike fled his mind, replaced by only one thought, a thought that found its form in the word that he now whispered to the wind:

            "_Kagome…_"

            Purple light blazed, ripping the air with a whistling shriek as pure light tore towards dark malevolence. Kagome smiled at the accuracy of her shot: there was no possible way it could miss—and, indeed, it did not. 

            But it also did not have the desired effect. The pure aura of Kagome's _miko_ arrow burst into a bright purple flash, charged with the pent-up passions of anger and rage that coursed through her at the slaughtering of the villagers, but the nightmarish being did nothing more than growl in annoyance, part of its arm shifting fluid-like into a tentacle to rip the offending arrow out and cast it back at its shooter. 

Kagome leapt as nimbly as possible back, dodging the now jaki-infused arrow as it tore into the ground, hissing and bubbling as the very earth beneath it melted and boiled into poisonous muck.

"Chikusho!" She cried, grasping two arrows as she fired them in a futile effort at the monster that paid no heed to her onslaught of arrows. The fact that they did not penetrate the monster's skin—or, for that matter, do anything more than annoy it—did not deter her. What else could she do—just sit idly by and watch this hellspawn devour these innocent villagers?

Anger coursed through her body, staining her miko aura bright red as the fires of holy rage burned inside her heart. She notched her next arrow, watching in grim satisfaction as energy formed an explosive aura around the very tip of it. In a motion so quick one would be hard pressed to follow it, she launched that arrow, grabbed another, notched and fired it, then fired three more in rapid succession. They erupted into flames and purifying light as they burst asunder upon the skin of the monster, but did not even elicit action from the beast until the final arrow struck the its eye straight and true.

It noticed that.

            An almighty roar ripped from the throat of the beast as it held its wounded eye; multifaceted eyes glittered with rage and malevolence as it saw the pesky human insect that had been annoying it with its stings for so long—then let loose a second unearthly roar as its titanic body shook the ground in its charge.

            Kagome turned to run, tried to get out of the way of this titan's rush, and narrowly succeeded as pitch black tentacles ripped themselves up out of the monster's—was it really skin?—flesh and pockmarked the ground with holes the diameter of sewer pipes on the exact spot Kagome had been standing.

            Yet, stubborn as she was against this nightmare, Kagome knew she stood no chance of winning. Even as she rolled out of the way, notching another arrow in the process, she saw a stark white mark on the back of the dark beast: a spider-shaped mark, what could almost be a burn. A mark she knew all too well: the mark of Naraku.

            If she had been angry before, it was nothing as compared to now: power flowed in waves from her body, making her shine with an inhuman low as the energy found its way into her eyes. Her hands gripped bow and arrow alike in a white-knuckled grip as the arrow itself shone with blinding white light; tears welling up in her eyes as the anger coursed, unbounded, through her body.

            "WHY DOES NARAKU SEND GODDAMNED MONSTROSITIES LIKE YOU TO TORMENT HIM!?!?" She screamed, tears dripping from her eyes at the memories of all the pain that Naraku's detachments had caused. "_ANSWER ME!!!! WHY!? WHY!?!?!?_"

            She released the arrow, the force of the energy blowing her back off her feet as it flew straight at the monster's chest. White met black, light clashed with dark, and the detachment began screeching in agony as it struggled to tear the searing light away from its flesh. Kagome smiled, sure in her triumph as the soul arrow tore a gaping hole through what could be the chest cavity—then her face fell and fear welled up inside her as the monster merely grinned.

            "_Baaaaka…_," it hissed, the hole closing itself seamlessly as burnt, smoking flesh healed and grew back as good as new. "_Boku wa zenzen shinenai, baaka…_"

            It paused to grin wickedly at the look of awestruck horror upon Kagome's face—then swung it's hand in a backhanded blow, spikes growing as it traced an arc through the air; enough power was in that blow to kill a hundred men, more than enough to kill a teenage girl, and Kagome closed her eyes and screamed…but the blow never arrived.

            "What…," Kagome started as she opened her eyes, but then stopped at the sight she beheld, and gasped in awe as she sensed rage, concern, and—above all else—raw power coursing through the person in front of her, holding the monster's hand back with a single hand; stopping it cold as though it were nothing.

            "Inu…yasha?" Kagome asked, hardly daring to believe it was him, refusing to let go of the aspect it was just a hallucination: the idea of which was shattered when he turned around, smiled his first true smile in what felt like forever, and whispered,

            "I'm here, Kagome."

            Yay: I'm back and my ::insert forty-seven expletives here:: creative kryptonite is gone! Sorry to leave you all hanging, yet again, but this should tide you over until tomorrow (I swear I will do my utmost to post tomorrow!).

            That's all for the story, but before I go, let me make one thing clear: I did not cut myself off from ff.net for so long intentionally. I did not do it to see how many people would email me, I did not do it to squeeze as many reviews as possible out of this chapter, and I did not do it because I wanted to hold you all in suspense. That would be just messed up in my mind, and I hope that you all aren't too mad at me for leaving you hanging for so long ^_^0. I've just been really busy in real life, and my creative energies haven't had much time to express themselves, and they haven't been able to express themselves in the work I've been doing (it's kind of hard for my energies to burst forth at my job in a pizza place or pour forth in the form of a math problem ^_^). 

            I hope to never make you guys wait so long again for a chapter, and feel free to flame me: yes, I deserve it. Lol…I'm going to bed, I have a history project due tomorrow. As always, please review, and requests, tips, death threats, requests for me to kill myself, and angry letters are welcome…heh. 'night, all.


	39. Inuyasha ni kare no dekinai koto to iwan...

            Well, another chapter: and in only two days! ::GASP!:: 

            Hehehe…just kidding ^_^; sorry for taking so long last time, and hopefully I haven't made you all paranoid that I won't update again for a long time because I didn't update last night (grrrrrr…f*cking history teacher didn't accept my poster and paper I worked 3 hours on; it was due yesterday, but I was sick and he said it was late even though I had a note…), but yeah: review responses, then on with boku no hanashi! 

            Cheler: Yeah, I know…don't worry about being surprised I'm a guy, I'm most likely always going to get reviews with stuff like, "You're a guy!?" and "I can't believe you're a guy!": I take them as compliments, except when I get about 50 of them for one chapter in which I plainly said "I'm a guy, not a girl"…lol. But yeah: thanks for the review ^_^.

            Inuficcrzy: Thank you, but they have a right to be pissed, lol: I pretty much vanished off the face of the earth for three weeks straight, I just got a little annoyed that people thought I was doing this just to squeeze reviews out or see how many people would email me to ask if I was discontinuing the storyline…but thanks for the support ^_^.

            Mattielover: Hmmm…your name would imply you're already in love with someone else…lol. Sorry, couldn't resist ^_^.

            Sanosuke: Well, I didn't know what the name of the song was, and it popped up with about 200 hits on my software, so I figured "Hey, this must be the name…"; thanks for the info, though!

            Cheler (yes, again!): Don't worry about the vocabulary thing; I know the feeling…my vocabulary and typing skills are malfunctioning because I had to wear a Little Caesars' mascot costume for 4 hours at work today out in 90 degree heat, so I know what fatigue can do to your skills.

            AznDreamer2: Lol, calm down…I'm not some guy to be revered or anything, and I am _not_ the best writer on fanfiction.net. But yeah, sorry about the shortness; I was in an insomniac-mindset that night and wrote that at like 1 AM, so it felt a lot longer than it was…I'll try to make my chapters longer and update AT LEAST once every two days (boy, last time I said that I ended up with a three week absence…hope I didn't jinx it this time….^_^0).

            Finally, yes, I _am_ planning a trip to Japan…and it's not a school trip, the school doesn't really know about it (Sado Club, the Japanese Club here at school, was never all that popular, and now that they're phasing out Japanese it's all but unnoticed by the school), but yes: I'm the one whose planning it. Good parts: I get to choose where we're going, how long we're going to be where, and I get to choose the places I wanna visit ^_^. Bad parts: I have to plan everything, set up tickets, make sure everyone's got their passports, find a chaperone, set up reservations, find out prices on EVERYTHING, etc

-_-. I'll actually be kind of glad when it's over, but I can't wait to go ^_^.

            Youkai Chick Supreme: Mmm…underwear gnomes…hehehe, you didn't piss me off or anything; and even if someone made me angry, I'd still write: I like doing it. And you all don't have to worry: I'll never have a sudden, unexplained three week absence again (I will, however, have an explained four-week absence from July 13th to August 11th if I'm still writing this by that time: I'll be in Japan ^_^). Jaa ne…uh…hmmm…gotta think up a nickname for you there ^_^

            Whew…I forgot review responses were that much fun ^_^. Oh well, on with the story…

            Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. You don't own Inuyasha. Nobody on FF.net owns Inuyasha (well, theoretically/technically you can if you have one of those little cute plush toys of him…)

Chapter Thirty-Four

            "I'm here, Kagome," Inuyasha smiled, batting the almighty backhand away like it was nothing; raw power shining from his eyes, finding its form in the pulsating sword he carried at his belt; finding its expression in the light that now shone from his liquid gold eyes.

            "You…you came back?" She asked, looking into eyes that, mere moments earlier, had been filled with tormented memories and present anguish. "You've been gone for almost a week…I was beginning to worry that…"

            "Keh. Didn't I tell you I'd never run away from you?" He smiled, then the old Inuyasha—swaggering and arrogant—regained control as he growled and regarded the monster above him with, "Or something like him?"

            The hand that Inuyasha had been holding back was no longer a problem: a whistling shriek, followed by a silver arc of light that grew into an explosion of yellow energy, made sure of that, while an angry roar made sure that Inuyasha—if whatever the hell this detachment of Naraku was hadn't already—was noticed. The severed hand, made of something that looked like smoke turned solid, twitched sporadically as its twin flew at Inuyasha, wrapping him in a crushing grip and squeezing him with a strength that belied the loss of a limb.

            "_You fool,_" it breathed, limb re-growing in an instant, adding even more pressure to the hanyou ensconced in its grip. "_That hurt._"

_            Slash! _

            "Good, maybe that did too." Inuyasha laughed, watching as viscous gobs of whatever the creature was made of splattered the ground; hissing and smoking as they hit, but the thing didn't even have time to feel whatever pain it might have: the 'useless' sword's might screamed forth once more, its roar matching the scream of anger that tore forth from Inuyasha's throat, shaping the three words that were the key to Tetsuaiga's true power: 

            "_Kaze no KIZU!_"

            This time, Inuyasha's attack wasn't wasted on severing a single arm: he had directed the winds of youki directly towards the main body of the creature that had held him there. Yellow youki met dark matter, and youki won as lines of power carved themselves into the monster's 'skin'—then exploded with pent-up energy, rending flesh to nothing more than tatters. He watched in grim satisfaction as the thing's skin flash-burned in the blast; listened with melancholy triumph as he heard it roar and scream in agony—then turned his attention from these petty things back onto Kagome.

            She was still a little surprised, to say the least: he'd been gone for almost a week, she'd searched for him, yelling his name, hoping that she'd somehow find him if he didn't want to be found—and all of a sudden he'd come back, to play the role of the savior he was accustomed to, and now he was sure to leave again…

            Except that Inuyasha had wrapped her in a tight embrace, one that felt like he hadn't seen her—hadn't held her—in forever, as he said,

            "I'm sorry I scared you again, Kagome."

            Kagome's eyes went wide in surprise for a moment—this _was_ only the second or third time he'd ever apologized to her vocally before; not to mention the fact that the rage and bloodlust that always welled up inside him when he fought was so quickly replaced by his long-imprisoned tender side—but she tried to push away the fear, anger, and adrenaline that had been surging through her body mere moments before and return Inuyasha's embrace: he needed her right now.

            He released his hold on Kagome ever-so-slightly…just enough so she'd be able to recline and look up at him…and then leaned down and kissed her gently, something he'd wanted to do for the entire time he'd been gone; something he'd wanted to do every possible chance since he'd met her; something that could keep him chained to this solid world, rather than slip back into the torrent of memories that threatened to gush from his mind if he let go. Kagome could feel his need, embrace and kiss alike, and returned it hungrily; trying to feed her own fire even as she attempted to snuff those inside of him; black hair deftly mixing with silver as they were locked away in their own world…

            …yet a warning pulse from the Tetsuaiga went unheeded; a quiet clamor of instinct was stilled by intellect; warning bells were ringing, but the silence of staying like this with Kagome was drowning it out.

            That is, until a crushing wave of the detachment wrapped itself around Inuyasha and Kagome; cutting off light, shocking them out of their daydreaming state, and greatly enraging one currently emotionally-unbalanced hanyou; it cut them off from light, flattening them against the ground, and leaving them in a small pocket, supported only by Inuyasha's main strength.

            The thing's flesh trembled as it quickly regenerated itself, the crushing weight growing heavier and heavier as Inuyasha struggled to stand from hands and knees, trying to keep from crushing Kagome as animal growls of anger escaped from his throat; hand longed to reach for the Tetsuaiga, but to do so would mean death for Kagome. 

            "Ka…gome...," Inuyasha grunted, neither rising nor falling as he kneeled, weight driving his knee into the ground as he tried valiantly to get to his feet. "Are you…okay?"

            "Un," Kagome affirmed, unable to move in the constricted area. "Are you?" Inuyasha began to respond, but he was cut off by a voice that rumbled and shook the walls of their cell.

            "_Oh, how touching…the Mighty Inuyasha, baring his soul for all to see to a little girl who's nothing more than a shadow of the great miko, Kikyou,_" it laughed, unaware of Inuyasha's rising anger. "_I'd just give up now, by the way…at least then you'll die together with your 'beloved'. Besides, it's not like you have a choice in the matter: you can't break free of your little cage, and you can't kill something that's made out of nothing but youki, now can you?_"

            It dawned on Inuyasha that most of Naraku's detachments were exactly like the original: cocky. Arrogant. Powerful. 

            And stupid.

            Rage grew once again inside him, drawing anger forth from memories: the same memories that, minutes before, had tormented him; he unconsciously cracked his knuckles, feral growls sounding from his throat. Adrenaline surged through his body, tightening his throat, heightening his senses, his strength—and he felt something snap deep inside him.

            And, suddenly, the crushing weight wasn't heavy enough—a scream that raised the hackles on Kagome's neck tore its way loose from Inuyasha's throat, and in a blinding flash of yellow power, the youki cocoon around them dissolved. In its place was an Inuyasha standing guard over Kagome, hand on Tetsuaiga, rage shining out of his eyes with a visible aura of power standing out from his skin.

            "_How…how did you…" _It started, but Inuyasha cut it off mid-sentence.

            "**_DON'T YOU EVER TELL ME WHAT I CAN'T DO YOU BASTARD!!!_**"

            Yes, I know: I suck for leaving you hanging like that. Really really sorry about it, but I have to sleep now…work was busy, and for some reason my body decided that, since I'd got enough sleep for once, it'd make me tired just for the hell of it…gomen nasai, yo. Well, I've gotta get to bed now…as always, please read and review! Thanks a lot!


	40. Woohoo! Back from japan!

            Hey everybody…feh; okay, I know you're all about to kill me, but have enough discretion to hear me out and then decide if you still want to kill me (if you can…::super-saiyan-esque aura leaps up::)

            It's been a little over two months since I've updated (okay, fine, almost two and a half months), and the first couple weeks I intended to update but never got the time (planning Japan trip, lots of homework, lots of tests, lots of work). The next month I just died because I needed some time away from all the stress and to just lie low for a while; seeing as how I still had work, I couldn't do that all the way. I love writing, and although I'm highly appreciative of all the support I've received to continue this story, it is still somewhat like work for me because I have to set deadlines for myself or nothing ever gets done, and I just wanted a break.

            The second month I was away from writing was because I, finally, went on my trip to Japan. It was a lot of fun, but seeing as how you're all probably pissed at me I won't go into details at the moment (if you want to hear about it, let me know and I'll put it up; but for right now I'm assuming most of you just want to read the story, lol). I got back on Monday, and since then I've been trying to adjust to California time again (Japan's 16 hours ahead of American time). Today's the first day I've felt any semblance of normal again, so I decided to pick up writing again…enjoy! (PS: I know the beginning part of this is different than the last chapter, but I decided to try to rewrite it and make it better).

  
Another quick note: _Yarou_ is a very bad insult in Japanese; to give you an idea: If I said "Teme! Kono yarou!" to someone they'd probably try to hit me.

_Nigenasai_ is "Run away!"

            I don't own Inuyasha, but I do own seventeen issues of his manga that I purchased while in Japan ^_^.

Chapter 35

            _And, suddenly, the crushing weight wasn't heavy enough anymore—a growl that raised the hackles on Kagome's neck rumbled its way loose from Inuyasha's throat and chest even as a blinding flash of white power shone through the shell that encased them. _

_            The monster staggered back, black eyes shot to hell by the blindingly white light, and was immediately rewarded by fierce stabbing pain inside what could only be called its chest: compliments of Inuyasha's Tetsuaiga._

_            "Don't you _**ever**_ tell me what I can't do, _yarou._"_

            It didn't have a response, unless you count gaping dumbly at a six-foot-long sword that had just been thrust into its body a _response_, and paid for its lack of reaction as the sword was torn out of the cavity, bidding its temporary sheathe goodbye with a blast of youki that tore out its back and leveled a good portion of the forest behind it.

            He leapt nimbly from the thing's ruined torso, flipping backwards and screaming an unworldly battle cry as he flew at maximum speed towards the latest in a seemingly endless onslaught of pointless battles that served him no purpose; only hindered he and Kagome from tracking down that bastard that he ached with all his being to kill…yet this newest monstrosity was the closest he could come to killing Naraku at the moment, so why not unleash a little of that pain and rage he'd bottled up for so long?

            _Bam!_

            A tentacle of youki snaked out of the ground in front of the charging hanyou and tripped him, grabbing his leg and using his own momentum against him as it broke the nearest tree in half with his body, then slammed him not at all gently against the ground.

            Flecks of blood littered Inuyasha's face as he coughed, and peals of laughter choked their way from the creation's mouth as it beat Inuyasha against the ground again, and again, and again; the thuds ever the more satisfying as more and more blood flew from Inuyasha's nose, mouth, and ears, streaking his silver hair crimson as he struggled to aim a sword blow at the wrist that bound him, but failed as he was dealt another shattering blow by the unforgiving earth.

            He swung the sword in an un-aimed arc, attempting beyond hope to sever the grip that held him; the sword sunk deep, but not deep enough to do any damage, and the sword was almost ripped from his grasp as he was yanked into the air again. Tearing the sword loose from the sucking flesh, his desperation delivered to him an idea: if it couldn't move its hand from the ground…

            Seizing the opportunity, Inuyasha twisted in his forced descent, stabbing the Tetsuaiga straight down to the ground as he did. His idea worked: the hand, pinned to the ground by the giant fang, granted Inuyasha his freedom as he slashed the hand loose from the creature and reclaimed his sword, trying to plan his strategy against a monster that seemed impossible to kill. He needed the few precious seconds to set up the Bakuryuuha, but this damned thing wouldn't even grant him time to breathe…he could run away, that could grant him the time: but it might think he was doing just that, running away, and turn its attention back towards Kagome…he could unleash a Kaze no Kizu, but that wouldn't give him nearly enough time…and then he hit on it.

            "KAGOME! RUN!" He bellowed, parrying one of the grasping claws to the side and slashing the other one off its hand as he leapt under its arms, dealing it another insignificant wound as he glanced quickly back to give her a pointed glare before leaping towards the monster and ensuring Kagome could get the brief moment she needed to make a break for it.

            "What do you mean 'Run away'!?! I'm NOT leaving you!" She cried, notching another arrow and delivering it straight to the rapidly regenerating flesh of the monster's wrist. "I've told you that and it doesn't do any good, what makes you think I'm going to do it!?"

            _'Chi f*cking kusho…' _He growled as he unleashed a backhanded Kaze no Kizu at the creature. _'Why does she have to be so damn stubborn?'_. The creature slammed into a tree, regaining its footing in less than a second: but that was all he needed. Kagome received a surprise as her vision was suddenly filled with Inuyasha and she was unceremoniously lifted up, slung over his shoulder, and found herself moving through the forest at Inuyasha's maximum speed. The creature recovered enough to roar out a cry of rage and bloodlust before it took off after them, Inuyasha's words as loud to her as the crash of bushes behind her as he explained.

            "I'm going to try a Bakuryuuha, but I need a few seconds to pull it off. You could've made it easy on me, but oh no, I had to carry you and run away, so listen! When I touch down, run away from the monster as quickly as possible; I'm going to 'draw his fire', or whatever that phrase is, and give you time to run. DON'T ARGUE!" He yelled, seeing Kagome's mouth opening to protest. "Now is _NOT_ the time, Kagome! Now get ready: three, two, one..."

            He leapt as far as his legs would take him, landing a good two hundred feet from where he had started, releasing the girl in his arms as they landed.

            "NIGENASAI!"

            Against her will, Kagome hit the ground running, heart yelling that there was no way Inuyasha could win and that she needed his help, logic firing back that she'd only get in the way; Inuyasha, meanwhile, was lost in the adrenaline surging in his limbs as he launched back at the monster, no more than fifty feet back: a distance it could close in less than a second.

            _'Damnit, just like Goshinki…'_ Inuyasha growled in his mind, leaping forward as he remembered the oni that had ravaged a village, taunted the children whose parents he'd slaughtered, broken his Tetsuaiga, and made him transform into that monstrosity that threatened to consume his sanity. _'All the more reason to take this bastard out…'_

            Tetsuaiga swung down in a blistering slash, winds swirling in typhoon force as it spat out its attack in the energy that now roiled forth in blasts of energy, causing the monster to leap to the side and allow Inuyasha to blow by at an incredible speed, slashing the creature's arm as it tried to stop the rocketing hanyou.

            "Nyaaaaaa! Missed me!" Inuyasha taunted, doing a graceful twist in the air and landing perfectly on his feet, trying to summon the Bakuryuuha as quickly as possible…but not enough time. The thing rushed him, shattering the energy Inuyasha had managed to gather as it forced him to leap away. Annoyed beyond measure, Inuyasha began a little game of catch-the-hanyou, leaping as fast as possible through the forest—_away _from Kagome—in the hopes he'd be able to get far enough in front to form the Bakuryuuha.

            "_Coward…come and fight me instead of running away!_" The monster called, trying to appeal to Inuyasha's pride as the elusive hanyou managed to gain distance: but Inuyasha wasn't stupid. To fight sword-to-claw would be pointless…he needed more _time_.

            "Kurae!" He screamed, a well-placed Kaze no Kizu shattering several dozen tree trunks and forcing his opponent to dodge around them, buying him at least a second as he rushed through the treetops at top speed, trying to judge if he'd managed to accrue enough distance…

            He flew down from the treetops, skidding to a halt as he concentrated with all his might on the sword he held in front of him, feeling the winds rush around the blade as the sword reached out and felt for the monster's youki, that weak area where the Bakuryuuha could form and turn it against its owner, adding its own might to the monsters…and, at long last, found it.

            "_OMAE!_" The creature roared, rushing at Inuyasha at its top speed, foam flying from its mouth as it reached towards the meditative hanyou…so close…less than ten feet…five feet…

            "_KUTABARE!!!!!!_" Inuyasha roared, satisfaction flooding through him as he swung the sword down, unleashing the Bakuryuuha on the creature that had annoyed him for so long; the things own energy rose off of itself in a wave, mixing with the huge cyclones of energy that now began punching through its skin, its flesh, its bone and commenced ripping it apart…flesh tore and bones shattered, blood mixed with the cyclones to turn them an eerie red, until finally the monster perished in a final scream of, "_Master, you promised…me…I…would…_" and exploded in a final burst of viscera and flesh.

            Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed the Tetsuaiga none too gently; plopping down, not exhausted but certainly tired, next to a large pile of the defeated creature's shreds. It was over—he'd finally managed to kill that damn thing. And, with any luck, there might be some clue that would lead them to Naraku…

::switch scenes::

            Deep in the mountains, resting in a cave of his own creation, Naraku (disguised as Sesshoumaru) held out his borrowed hand, watching as a huge, wasp-like insect landed softly upon it. 

            Youkai hearing proved itself useful once again as the poison insect buzzed and clicked its mandibles, reporting to Naraku all that he had witnessed: the Bakuryuuha, the monster's effectiveness, and its final defeat at the hands of Inuyasha.

            "Fuu…," Naraku breathed, shooing the insect away as he lapsed into thought once again: _'It took him that long to figure out that he couldn't kill it and the only way was to use the Bakuryuuha? I hope that miko girl isn't as stupid as he is, otherwise they'll never find that trail that stupid creation planted…'_

            Well, an update two months in the making, but hey, guess what: at least it's long! Sorry if I pissed you guys off, but I needed some personal time…which kind of led into the absence when I went to Japan, lol. Well, as always, please read and review, and thanks!


	41. Review Responsesthough there weren't tha...

            Well, since I'm currently sick, I decided to just do review responses for tonight (and, even though I've been gone a long time/I may sound like a spoiled author, but come on: two reviews? Did you guys forget me or something? ^_^0).

            Disclaimer: Hahaha! SOMETHING I CAN FINALLY SAY I OWN!

            Jesanae Takani: Sorry for the delay in translating, but "Boku wa zenzen shinenai, baaka" translates as "I can never die, fool"; you're correct in assuming you wouldn't have been able to use a dictionary, though—zenzen (never) might have been in there, baka most likely would have been in there, but shinenai wouldn't: you have to know how to derive the verb root…little complex, but here goes. The root verb is "Shinu" (to die). To make it "Can die", you change the "nu" to "ne" and add ru, so it's "Shineru". To say "I can't die", you make it negative by taking off the "ru" and adding "nai". Yeah…I'm rambling, so anyways sorry for the delay in updates!

            Angelstars: Yeah, that was kind of funny when Inuyasha thought Kagome had died…if I hadn't known better I would've thought they'd all bit the big one because they weren't breathing at all and they hadn't breathed for a while. But two good things: while in Japan, I got to watch a new episode of Inuyasha every Monday at 7:30 PM (hee hee hee! ^_^), and while I was there many episodes of Inuyasha came out on Kazaa, so I now have up to episode 119…episode 118 is vying for my favorite right now, due to Miroku's actions in 118, but I'm not gonna spoil it for those who don't want it spoiled…

            Youkai Chick Supreme: Lol, nice long rant/review…damn doctors with their superiority complexes and tranquilizer guns and tasers…but yeah, I did think up a name for you: Kashou. The kanji for the name mean "Crafter of Songs". Enjoy! ^_^ Also, when you posted the second review (the one about calling an Ambulance), it's kinda funny: I actually almost did need an ambulance one day in Japan…sit tight and I'll tell you all the story ^_^.

            Okay, to start it off, Fugu is a type of pufferfish: the only thing is, it's so poisonous that if it's not made into sashimi correctly, you'll get poisoned and possibly die. It's a neurotoxin, which means that it attacks the nerves, blocking them off which causes numbness at first then excruciating pain, and I forgot that chefs leave just enough poison in the sashimi to make your lips (and, if they're good chefs, your cheeks and jaw) go numb.

            Why is this relevant, you ask? Well I decided to order Fugu while I was in Tokyo (1890 yen, or about 17/18 dollars), and I forgot that little fact. I eat about 2 pieces of the fugu sashimi, and all of a sudden I feel my lips and face start to go numb, and I think to myself, _'Oooooh crap, what's going on?'_ and the numbness keeps spreading till it hits my ears and then when it stops my mind decides to unveil that little bit of information I forgot. End result: I almost needed an ambulance because I nearly had a heart attack when I felt my face start to go numb…lol.

            Someone: A little late, but I'm appreciative nonetheless: I always appreciate it when someone tries to help me, late or not ^_^.

            Diablo2: Yeah, I'd classify myself as lucky, but I also worked and saved to go on this trip, and about the year before you go: I know exactly how it feels, man. I've wanted to go since I was like 5 years old, and I've really wanted to go since last year when I hosted an exchange student…you'll feel like it's never gonna be over, but then it'll be here before you know it ^_^.

            Sorry, all, but I've gotta go to bed…I've got a headache and my sleep schedule's still a little wacky, so I'll update asap and see you all then! (And please read and review 

-_-)


	42. Special update thingie

            Hello: it's me again.  Haven't had much time to write in the past week (sorry bout that, everyone: homework bites), so I decided to do a little special of sorts and tell everyone exactly what I did while I was gone for that last month ^_^. Try to enjoy, and as soon as this hellish first part of my last year of high school is over I'll try to get the story back on track ^_^. Here, in case any of you are interested, is a somewhat-detailed log of what I did in Japan (for those of you wondering why I didn't use this energy to write the next installment of Hanyou no Kon, I have to write this for Japanese class for my culture project anyways; I figured I may as well kill two birds with one stone). I'll be doing this in installments, and they'll be daily/nightly (in the possible chance that I get a creative kick in the pants, however, this will be replaced by a Hanyou no Kon update).

            Well, I left America on July 13th from San Francisco International Airport at about 2 PM, and thus began a seemingly never-ending flight…books are very useful on airplane voyages, as are CDs and mini-video game consoles (I read Harry Potter 5 in a straight shot on this and still had about 4 hours left…you need more than one book ^_^). We watched two movies on the flight, the first being Anger Management and the second being Treasure Planet (which was surprisingly good). After eleven or twelve endless hours, we finally managed to touch down at Narita Airport: only for my friend (also named Josh, heh) to nearly have a heart attack when he realized he couldn't find his passport (technically this is July 14th, but whatever). After ten minutes of searching all his bags, he found it in the space betwixt our seats.

            On July 14th, we exited the airplane terminal and went through customs (short and sweet, "Hai, hai, Amerikajin desu; ::stamp stamp:: irete kudasai" (Yes, yes, you're American; ::stamp stamp:: please enter"). After getting our luggage, we met up with our guide, Sho (he's a brother of one of the students that stayed out here last year; it was good to finally meet him, he was hella cool) and he put us on the track aimed to Tokyo. After we got to Tokyo (about a thirty or forty-five minute ride), we hopped onto the Shinkansen (for those of you who don't know what the "Shinkansen" is, it's the famous bullet train) and waved goodbye to Sho…I really hope I get to see him again ^_^. We settled in for a blazingly fast two-hour train ride to Niigata, on the northeastern part of Honshu. 

            After fighting off the evil demons of sleep while on the train, and trying to accept the reality of "Hey, I'm REALLY in Japan!", we arrived at the Niigata station and exited the train to meet up with our second guide: Kera-sensei. We exchanged hellos and greetings, and I (for the first time…not the last…) was forced into obligation to speak Japanese to Kera-sensei to make things easier on everyone (not to brag, but my Japanese was the best out of the group so I was almost continually pushed to the front of the group to say something or I was called on to come and attempt to translate something…annoying after a while), and we headed to a nearby hotel where we checked in, I used the computer and sent an e-mail to my family to let them know I'd arrived safely, then went up to my room and fell asleep.

            The next day (the 15th), I awoke bright and early (for those of you going to Japan soon: try to get tickets that depart America around 2 PM, it causes the least jet lag) and proceeded to explore Niigata for a while until I was sure my friends had woken up. Upon returning to the hotel, I scored some complimentary breakfast (most hotels offer it ^_^) and then, after gawping at a full-size cutout of Inuyasha in the middle of nowhere and buying approximately three boxes of Pocky, we boarded a ferry that would take us to Sado Island. 

            NOTE: If you're wondering where this is, find Tokyo on a map of Japan. Go north, then go east until you see Niigata. Look directly north of that, and there will be a somewhat large (not as big as the 4 main islands, however) island. That's Sado Island.

            After we boarded the ferry, one of the four other people on the exchange program (Mike) found an arcade room. After going there, I deigned there was nothing good to play…until I saw House of the Dead 2. I completely 0wnz3d that game, and that's pretty much all I did for two hours (I only spent about 1000 yen, about 8/9 dollars, though).

            It was pretty cool when we arrived at the school: unlike Hayward High, which pretty much gives a rat's ass about Sado Club, Sado High is completely involved in the project: everybody knows about it, nearly everyone participates in it, and everybody knew we were coming. That being said, the WHOLE SCHOOL turned out for our arrival: literally, the whole school. About 700 students were waiting for us out front, hanging out of the windows of the 4 story building, and shouting from the rooftop "YOOKOSO, TOMODACHI!!!" (Welcome, Friends!). It was pretty emotional for me, however, when I scanned the crowd and saw the five students who'd stayed in America yelling, "JOSHU!!!" and I got to see them…if I sound like an emotional sap, so be it, but it had felt like I'd never get to see them again.

            Well, the rest of the day was spent getting us acquainted to life in Sado High School, which was basically giving us the schedule of what we were going to be doing for the next three weeks, introducing us to students, showing us around the High School, and telling us how the program would work. (Basically, for the three weeks we were on Sado High (except weekends, which were Host Family days where we'd stay at home with our Host Families and do whatever we decided to do together) we'd come to school with the students, go to two classes per day (most of the time on culture/arts of Japan), and spend the rest of the time hanging out in the LL Room, sort of like a teacher's lounge, wandering around, or being free to leave the school and explore the area around Sado Island. 

            After this was all explained to us, I finally got a chance to meet my host student's mother and father, who were overjoyed to see me (I hosted my host student last year; her name is Kumiko), and went with them to the supermarket where they insisted that I choose my favorite foods for dinner that night (grrr…they tricked me the first time: they asked me if I wanted sashimi, and I said "It's a little expensive, isn't it?" They then said "Well, what kind do you like, maguro or hamachi?" I said, "Either one is fine"…so they then just smiled at me, said "If you can't decide, we'll just get both" and tossed both in the cart).

            When we got home (note: I truly do consider that place my home…my current home is also home, but as far as I'm concerned, the house I stayed at is also home: Kumiko and her parents did everything for me, made me feel like one of the family, and were just some of the nicest people I've ever met), I was introduced to Kumiko's grandmother, and after giving the gifts I'd bought to my host mother, father, student, and grandmother (sorry if I keep getting sidetracked, but just to let you know, in Japanese culture giving gifts is exceedingly important) they attempted to show me how to use the electric toilet, washer, and the Japanese-style shower/bath (and they were very happy I knew how to use the bathroom already…I'll explain it at a later date, this one is long enough ^_^). 

            After eating dinner (which was _marvelous_: maguro sashimi, my favorite; miso soup, rice, umeboshi (yick; it's sour and VERY nasty), soba, ramen, and namacha (tea), it was already past 8 o' clock and I was more than ready to go to bed. My host family interpreted my signs (which was good, because I was trying to be as polite as possible and stay up to answer all their questions) and asked me politely to go to bed if I was tired ^_^. I climbed into my bed (it was a futon, but they had the box spring and everything under it so it was still a bed), pulled up the covers, and was out like a light.

            On Wednesday (that's the 16th for those of you keeping track), I experienced my first day of life at a Japanese high school: which was very cool because it was Sports Day, a day where EVERYONE in the school participates in sporting events from lunch onwards!

            For the first half of the day I was with Kumiko in her extended homeroom, trying to pick out bits and pieces of the lesson and also looking through the "Living Language: Ultimate Japanese" book I'd brought with me. After her homeroom ended, I was free to wander around as I pleased, so I hooked up with a couple other exchange students and we just hung out around campus until Sports Day started. When it started, however, it was so much fun it's hard to say…I only played basketball and badminton, but we were scheduled to play a basketball game against Sado High's basketball team. That was at 2 PM, though, so we had about 2 hour's time before we had to report to Gym 1.

            That two hours was eaten up by becoming embroiled in learning Japanese and teaching English to a group of three students that popped up (I have no idea how the conversation started; my role as translator became more apparent when the ass of the group, Alfred, yelled, "Hey! Get over here and translate some stuff!" and I was obliged to help), and when we'd filled up the small chalkboard we followed them back to their classroom to teach them some English. It wasn't boring, just kind of tedious, so I was more than happy when it was time for our basketball game. Unfortunately, me, Mr. Fregeau, and the other Josh were the only ones good at basketball on our five-player team so it was difficult, but we still had a lot of fun in our half-hour game. The final score was 36-22, I believe, and I made friends with the star player of the team: Wataru (we were pretty good friends, actually…we always hung out with each other when we could and played friendly basketball once in PE. We were pretty evenly matched: he's a good shot, I'm really fast ((but a bad shot)). We got our pictures taken by a newspaper reporter, and also were interviewed, and found out that we would be in the paper running the next day (what I didn't know, however, was that I also got quoted: "Utsukushii shima desu ne" (It's a beautiful island, ne?). 

            We chilled out for the rest of the day, occasionally playing one of the other sports the school had to offer, and then our host families came to pick us all up at around 5 PM; I was grateful, because I was tired and just wanted to shower, and as soon as we got home I changed clothes, we had dinner (I honestly don't remember what we had most nights, either that or I don't know what it was…I believe we had Sukiyaki this night, however), and Kumiko/her family and I spent an hour or two talking before I showered and went to bed at about 9 AM.

            Feh…I intended this installment to cover a week, but it was too long for me to write that much, so this ended up as being a three-day cover of my life in Japan. I'll do better tomorrow, I promise, and I supposed I can't really say Read and Review…but if those of you who didn't review for the last chapter I posted (you know who you are…) would review, I'd be happy ^_^. Night for now!


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